Montgomery County Inspector General Edward Blansitt said he will investigate the Board of Education’s budgeting process for the fiscal year that starts July 1, spurred by the public school system’s surplus of $14.5 million discovered in the final days of budget negotiations. County Council members say they learned about the surplus — which Council President Valerie Ervin called a “slush fund” — in the trust fund used to pay for employee health care shortly after the budget was approved May 26. County Executive Ike Leggett said he learned about the surplus in April.

In a memo released Thursday, Ervin asked Blansitt to evaluate the reliability of the school board’s monthly financial reports, as well as the documents the school system submits annually, “specifically to identify and assess any significant budget, fund, liability, or other changes” during the fiscal year.