Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) is to determine the effectiveness of legislation enacted by the County Council and to make findings and recommendations concerning the performance, management, and operation of programs and functions for which funds are appropriated or approved by the Council.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY20 Operating Budget for the Office of Legislative Oversight is $1,877,511, an increase of $133,424 or 7.65 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget of $1,744,087. Personnel Costs comprise 97.62 percent of the budget for 12 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 11.67 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 2.38 percent of the FY20 budget.

Consistent with the County Charter, the County Executive makes recommendations on the operating budget for all County departments, offices, and agencies. However, recognizing the Charter-defined roles, the Executive defers significantly to Legislative and Judicial Branch agencies. Questions regarding the approved budgets for Legislative Branch departments should be directed to Mary Jane Berry, 240-777-7930.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government

Accomplishments

• Completed a report that summarized the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation practices for out-of-cycle residential property assessments.

• Completed a report that reviewed the use of reverse auction purchasing for Montgomery County procurements and other jurisdictions.

• Completed a report that provided information on the use of social impact bonds across the country, with a focus on early childhood education.

• Completed a report that summarized the County Executive and Council community grants programs, including legislative history, data trends, and feedback from stakeholders. The report also included summaries of the practices of other jurisdictions.

• Completed a report on the retiree health benefits, including a description of revised reporting rules, identification of major cost drivers, and an assessment of opportunities to control future year costs.

• Completed a report that examined dollars awarded for County Government service contracts, the size of the service contractor workforce, and contractor wages. OLO found that the County does not collect or require vendors to report data on contractor wages nor does it count the number of contractors on service contracts. Additionally, OLO found that the Police department does not currently have established procedures to monitor active contractors or to deactivate ID cards when contractors leave County service.

• Continued to assist the Council, MCPS, and the County Office of Intergovernmental Relations by analyzing alternative State aid funding models to determine how different provisions would impact funding to MCPS.

Program Descriptions

  Legislative Oversight

The Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) conducts program evaluations, base budget reviews, and other special studies in accordance with a Council-approved work program, as well as overseeing audits. OLO studies the effectiveness of legislation enacted by the Council and makes findings and recommendations concerning the performance, management, and operation of...