Inspector General Advisory Board

There is currently an open position for the recently created Inspector General Advisory Board. The Board consists of seven citizen members who provide ministerial oversight and accountability to the Office of the Inspector General.

What are the responsibilities of the Inspector General Advisory Board?

The Inspector General Advisory Board is responsible for:

• selecting the Howard County Inspector General
• conducting reviews of completed investigations, and
• reviewing and making recommendations on the Office of the Inspector General’s budget.

How are the members of the Inspector General Advisory Board selected?

 Five members are appointed by each of the County Council members, one member is appointed by the County Executive, and an at-large member is appointed by the collective County Council through a public solicitation process.

The Board shall consist of at least one member from the Democratic Party, at least one member of the Republican Party, and at least one member who is Unaffiliated to a political party. Based on the current vacancy and the requirements in the County Code, applicants for this open position must be registered Republicans in order to maintain the required membership.

What are the terms and time commitments required by Board members?

The Board meets at least twice a year. Board members serve a five-year term and may not serve more than two consecutive five-year terms. Term lengths are initially staggered for the installation of the first Board.

What are the qualifications/eligibility of the Inspector General Advisory Board?  

Individuals seeking to serve on the Inspector General Advisory Board must meet the following criteria:

• be members of either the professional associations of Inspectors Generals, Certified fraud Examiners, or Certified Public Accountants; or
• be former judges or prosecutors; or
• have experience in government accountability, auditing, or investigations.   

Individual with the following are ineligible to serve:

• individuals convicted of a felony or misdemeanor with a statutory penalty of more than two years.
• Howard County Government employees;
• Howard County Board or Commission members;
• any elected officials;
• any candidates for public office or political central committees;
• officers, staff members, or employes of any political party;
• registered lobbyists;
• an employee, owner, or board member of an external recipient of County funds, benefits, or services; and
• any individual subject to the jurisdiction of the Inspector General.

Those wishing to serve…

Please submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your interest to serve on the Board by clicking this link to the Inspector General Advisory Board Application Form.

Please include your political party affiliation in your cover letter.

On Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, the Inspector General Advisory Board voted on and approved their 2025 Rules of Procedure for the Advisory Board. A finalized version can be found below.

Per the requirements of the Howard County Code, any revisions to the Board's Rules of Procedure must allow for a Public Hearing where the Board can receive comments from the public. If revisions are proposed, a Hearing will be scheduled for the public to attend and give testimony.

Members of the public are welcome to submit written testimony in addition to providing verbal testimony at the public hearing. All feedback received, whether written or spoken, will be carefully considered by the Inspector General Advisory Board before any final decisions are made regarding the draft Rules of Procedure. For more information or to submit written testimony, please contact Isaiah Anderson or Nicholas Rinehart at 410-313-2001.

The Inspector General Advisory Board is responsible for:

• selecting the Howard County Inspector General,
• conducting reviews of completed investigations, and
• reviewing and making recommendations on the Office of the Inspector General’s budget.

Five members were appointed by each of the County Council members, one member was appointed by the County Executive, and an at-large member was appointed by the collective County Council through a public solicitation process.

The Board shall consist of at least one member from the Democratic Party, at least one member of the Republican Party, and at least one member who is unaffiliated to a political party.

The Board meets at least twice a year. Board members serve a five-year term and may not serve more than two consecutive five-year terms. Term lengths are initially staggered for the installation of the first Board.

Individuals seeking to serve on the Inspector General Advisory Board must meet the following criteria:

• be members of either the professional associations of Inspectors Generals, Certified fraud Examiners, or Certified Public Accountants;
• be former judges or prosecutors; or
• have experience in government accountability, auditing, or investigations.

Individuals with the following are ineligible to serve:

• those convicted of a felony or misdemeanor with a statutory penalty of more than two years;
• Howard County Government employees;
• Howard County Board or Commission members;
• any elected officials;
• any candidates for public office or political central committees;
• officers, staff members, or employees of any political party;
• registered lobbyists;
• County contractors or vendors; and
• any individual subject to the jurisdiction of the Inspector.