Baltimore County administrator orders legal review of Human Relations Commission, pledges training and in‑kind support

Baltimore County Administrative Officer DeAndrea Walker told the Human Relations Commission on Nov. 13 that the county has begun a legal and organizational review of the commission’s founding articles and bylaws, after finding missing historical documents and inconsistent language in provisions that appear to grant the commission powers — such as subpoena authority — without the legal infrastructure to exercise them.

Walker said she directed the Office of Law to analyze the commission’s charter and the bills that created it (some provisions dating to 1963) and to identify conflicts among Articles 3, 11 and 29. She also said the county will compare Baltimore County’s commission structure to similar jurisdictions and likely contract a consultant to ensure any regulatory changes are implemented correctly and do not expose the county to legal risk. "We want to protect the commission," Walker said, "and protect the county and make sure that whatever rulings you all are making, that they have the…