Officials who review Montgomery County’s constitution are pushing the County Council to give its top watchdog more independence, according to a new report.
“Several [Charter Review Commission] members feel that Montgomery County will be best served by an [inspector general] that is independent of both the executive and legislative branches of government,” wrote Judith Vandegriff, chairwoman of the commission’s Office of the Inspector General committee.
Montgomery’s inspector general, responsible for exposing waste and abuse in county government, reports to the County Council.
The recommendation comes amid a still-raging brouhaha between Inspector General Thomas Dagley and County Executive Ike Leggett, whom Dagley accused of interfering with some of his most damning investigations in recent months.
“Several jurisdictions in the country have it this way,” Vandegriff said of a completely independent watchdog. “It moves the office as far out of the political arena as it can be.”
Although the spat didn’t involve the council, Vandegriff said it reinforced the need for a stronger inspector general’s office.
Dagley has repeatedly touted his authority to investigate any matter he wants. Dagley could not be reached for comment.
The report by the Charter Review Commission says subpoena powers for the inspector general’s office need to be extended to multicounty or state-shared jurisdictions. It also calls for fixed funding and requirements for reporting information to the public in a “timely matter.”
County Council President Nancy Floreen said officials already have established a fitting framework for the inspector general. Leggett proposed gutting much of the department’s operating expenses this year, but the council ultimately restored the money.
“It’s not surprising that feathers will be ruffled,” Floreen said of the recent clash, calling it a “natural tension” between the county executive and the watchdog agency.
Leggett’s spokesman, Patrick Lacefield, added, “I don’t think it would change anything. In essence, it’s already independent.”
The Charter Review Commission, appointed by the council, issues reports in even-numbered years outlining potential changes to the county charter. It is scheduled to share its newest report with the County Council Tuesday.
