Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to promote the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and operations of County government and independent County agencies, prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse in government activities, and propose ways to increase the legal, fiscal, and ethical accountability of County government and County-funded agencies.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY24 Operating Budget for the Office of Inspector General is $2,917,321, an increase of $404,921 or 16.12 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $2,512,400. Personnel Costs comprise 95.30 percent of the budget for 19 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 19.00 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 4.70 percent of the FY24 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 County Executive defers significantly to Legislative and Judicial Branch agencies. Questions regarding the approved budgets for Legislative Branch departments should be directed to Sandra Marin, 240-777-7923.

County Priority Outcomes

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

• A Growing Economy
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable). The FY23 estimates reflect funding based on the FY23 approved budget. The FY24 and FY25 figures are performance targets based on the FY24 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY25.

Initiatives

• Continue to expand investigation capacity to allow the OIG to manage the requests for review of Montgomery County Public Schools in accordance with State legislation (Chapter 329 of 2020). Per Bill 11-19, the OIG will also leverage the new auditor positions added in FY23 to implement a systematic risk-based rotating group-by-group review of the internal accounting and contracting processes and controls used by each Department and principal office in the Executive Branch, as well as audit high-risk County contracts and agreements. Auditing the County's accounting and contracting processes on a recurring basis ensures that accounting/contracting programs are running effectively and efficiently.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Continued development of a mechanism to track savings and improvements identified through OIG audits, investigations, and referrals. Instituted a follow-up system for management to report on actual savings and improvements.

• Implemented outreach programs to help educate County employees on how they can help the OIG to fight fraud, waste and abuse, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the programs and operations of the County government and independent County agencies.

• Created a user-friendly online complaint submission form in English and Spanish to increase accessibility to the OIG for County employees and residents.

• Implemented a case management system, automated complaint processing, audit program management, and investigatory engagements.

• Implemented an internship program for both college students and people with disabilities to increase the impact of the OIG in the workplace. In partnership with the University of Maryland Shady Grove, the OIG hosted a student intern for 10 weeks in the summer of 2022. In the fall of 2022, the OIG began hosting an adult with disabilities as part of the County's Project Search program for another 10 weeks. Both interns contributed to the work of the office to a significant degree.

Program Descriptions

  Inspector General

The Inspector General conducts independent audits, reviews, and investigations; receives and investigates credible complaints; reports possible violations of the law to law enforcement or another appropriate organization; notifies the County Council and County Executive of serious problems in programs; reviews legislation and regulations to strengthen controls and increase accountability; and...