Council to vote tonight on charter amendment that would change makeup of Inspector General Advisory Board

A measure that takes oversight of Baltimore’s Inspector General away from elected officers and offers extra management to the City Council comes earlier than the Council as we speak with a deadline looming:
The invoice would have to obtain each preliminary and last approval at tonight’s assembly so as, beneath the foundations, to go earlier than the voters within the General Election in November within the type of a Charter Amendment.
Resolution 22-0238, launched by Councilwoman Odette Ramos, establishes a brand new method to select members of an Advisory Board that oversees the work of the Office of the Inspector General, Baltimore’s watchdog company for metropolis authorities waste, fraud and abuse.
The board presently consists of elected officers or their designees, the town solicitor and two legislation faculty deans.
Since the measure was launched in May, amendments have tweaked Ramos proposed methodology of re-configuring the board.
Under the invoice, not too long ago amended and accepted by the Rules and Oversight Committee, the 11-member board would consist of:
• A bunch of seven folks from the neighborhood drawn at random from names submitted by the 14 City Council members.
• One individual chosen by the Maryland chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
• One individual chosen by the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.
• The dean of the University of Maryland Law School or a designee.
• The dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law or a designee.
Discussing the measure at a committee work session final week, Ramos reiterated its central tenet:
“There would be no elected officers, no workers of the town, in addition to anyone doing enterprise with the town that would be allowed on the board,” she stated.
Political Flashpoint
The situation of conflicts-of-interest on the board arose – and have become a political flashpoint – final 12 months after Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming produced a report important of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, spouse of City Council President Nick Mosby.
At a subsequent Council price range listening to and an advisory oversight assembly, Nick Mosby’s designees on the board, together with City Solicitor Jim Shea, had been important of Cumming, questioning her job efficiency and price range requests.
“The public ought to by no means surprise if a report is biased or totally correct as a result of the topic of an investigation…is a member of this board”  – Inspector General Isabel Cumming.
Cumming, in the meantime, has known as for the town to appropriate the “flaw” within the advisory board’s composition, saying it should be free of political affect or the looks of affect.
“The public ought to by no means surprise if a report is biased or is totally correct as a result of the topic of an investigation sits on or is influenced by a member of this board,” she stated, addressing the advisory board final August.
“No citizen of Baltimore must be involved whether or not a future inspector common has the fortitude to arise to, or examine, their very own board,” she added.
Entrance to the workplace of the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General in City Hall. (Mark Reutter)

https://baltimorebrew.com/2022/07/25/council-to-vote-tonight-on-charter-amendment-that-would-change-makeup-of-inspector-general-advisory-board/