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Committee considers making Department of Legislative Reference independent, and a process for outside counsel
Summary
Members discussed a proposal to move the Department of Legislative Reference out of the executive branch and merge it with Council Services as an independent legislative-branch entity, and a separate proposal to create a process for city entities to petition a circuit court to obtain outside counsel when there is a perceived conflict of interest.
Members reviewed proposals to change how legislative drafting and legal representation are organized.
Councilwoman Odette Ramos described a proposal to make the Department of Legislative Reference (DLR) an independent department of the legislative branch and to merge its operations with the Office of Council Services, modeled on the independent legislative services office used in Annapolis. Proponents said the change would make drafting and committee support more independent and could help insulate the council's research and drafting from executive-branch influence.
Separately, general counsel Aaron de Grafenwright outlined a proposal to provide a process for city entities subject to legal opinions from the law department to petition the circuit court for permission to hire outside counsel when they perceive a conflict of interest. He said the suggestion stemmed from requests by bodies such as the Police Accountability Board and the former Civilian Review Board seeking neutral procedures to obtain outside representation.
Staff emphasized both proposals will need careful legal review to determine appropriate language and to assess interactions with existing statutes and judicial procedures; no final action was taken at the hearing.
