Maryland Commission on Civil Rights asks for 15 positions to shrink case backlog; audit findings cited

The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) told the House Health and Social Services Subcommittee on Jan. 29 that the governor's fiscal 2026 allowance would allow the agency to add staff to address a persistent backlog of discrimination complaints.

Natalie Andrade, the Department of Legislative Services analyst for MCCR, opened the presentation with budget figures: the commission's fiscal 2026 allowance increases by $970,000 (16.1%) to about $7 million. Andrade noted that personal expenses account for about 89% of the proposed fiscal 2026 budget and that DLS recommended committee narrative asking the commission to report on the effect of adding the proposed positions on backlog management.

Cleveland Horton II, the commission's acting executive director, described staffing shortages and their effect on case processing. "Historically our agency has been at a point where we've had a little over a hundred employees. We find ourselves in a situation where we have about 39 employees to cover the entire state," Horton said. He told the subcommittee the governor's allowance would fund 11 permanent positions and one contractual conversion (12 permanent total) plus funding for three contractual positions, for a total of 15 additional pins.

Breakdown and rationale: Horton and staff told the subcommittee the allocation includes 3 additional education and outreach staff, 5 civil-rights officers (investigators), one investigator converted from a contractual role, and two assistant general counsels; the remaining positions are for intake and investigative units and legal support. Horton said the commission currently has about 490 cases in backlog awaiting assignment and estimated the backlog could rise toward 800 without added staff. With the governor's allowance, the commission projected it could work through the backlog in about 12 months.

Audit findings and controls: DLS and the Office of Legislative Auditor reviews were discussed. The October 2024 audit identified five findings, including delays in case processing tied to staffing shortages, insufficient documentation for vendor payments, lapses in oversight of corporate purchasing cards, weak controls over gala revenue/expenses, and insufficient cash-receipt controls. Horton said the commission has adopted corrective actions, realigned staffing and issued internal policies to address audit findings.

Gala and funding: Commissioners explained the agency's gala is funded by HUD (about $30,000) and private sponsorships and ticket sales; the commission requested and received guidance from the State ethics office that the gala can be used as a fundraising mechanism. Horton said gala receipts are reinvested in the event and that the commission plans to move from a biennial to an annual gala to increase fundraising capacity.

DLS recommended adopting committee narrative requiring a report on how the additional positions affect case assignment and backlog. The commission requested concurrence with the governor's allowance.