Howard County inaugural inspector general advisory board sets selection process, elects chair and vice chair

Howard County’s newly formed Inspector General Advisory Board met for its inaugural session to establish procedures for hiring an inspector general, review open‑meetings and public‑records requirements, and set near‑term logistics for its work. The board nominated and elected David Salem as chair and Kathleen Downs as vice chair by voice vote.

The advisory board’s central duty is to select a candidate to serve as the county’s inspector general, a requirement of county bill CB 61 20 24 that created the Office of the Inspector General and the advisory board. Nick Reinhardt, a legislative analyst for the County Council, told members the board will work with Human Resources to develop a job description, post it, and receive applications; the legislation requires the board to select a candidate by affirmative vote of a majority of current members.

The board heard practical guidance on public‑meeting and public‑record rules from Amanda…