As many people know, Howard County Inspector General Kelly Madigan met with the County Council this morning, and county residents, myself included, remain concerned about barriers to records access and inadequate support for the OIG’s oversight. David Yungman was quoted as saying that if addressing these access issues “doesn’t get done within the next two months, it could wait until next summer.” Don’t worry David, it doesn’t have to wait until next summer.
The OIG’s role is crucial to accountable government. As public trust in all levels of government is at a generational low, if elected, I will ensure the OIG’s office has the tools and records access it needs to do its job.
Regarding the Maryland Public Information Act being used to reject requests for public information: the PIA’s use of “while protecting legitimate governmental interests” as a caveat to our rights may seem well-intended on its face; however, in conflict with the spirit of the law, it appears to have given numerous public officials an invitation to reject PIA requests for any reason they like.
I believe that the OIG’s office, though subject to its own recordkeeping and disclosure responsibilities, must not be blocked from access.
