By Adam Pagnucco.
In what is likely to be viewed as terrible news by county government bosses but could actually be good news for taxpayers, Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi is projecting that her office will need to add staff and funding over the next three fiscal years. Let the investigations – and the bureaucratic teeth-gnashing – begin!
The Bell of Doom rings in the latest four-year work plan issued by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). After noting the office’s goals and project list – with nearly half of its focus going to MCPS – the OIG had this to say about its staffing and budget.
*****
PROJECTED BUDGET
Pursuant to Montgomery County Code §2-151, within the first six months of the initiation of their term, the Inspector General must submit to the County Executive and County Council a projected budget for the entire four-year term. This projected budget contemplates continued growth required to meet our mandate, respond to residents, and provide oversight of the County’s spending and programs. We continue to seek efficiencies and innovations to responsibly grow our office while attaining appropriate staffing levels.
The projected budget includes the addition of staff dedicated to increasing our capabilities to perform informative, proactive reviews and respond to complaints received by the Education Oversight Division. Furthermore, the budget continues to propose phased-in increases in audit staff to complete required departmental audits within a reasonable and responsible frequency. These projections also phase in expenses related to training and development for new staff to meet professional standards. The approved FY26 budget of $3,979,026 is comprised of $3,836,115 in personnel costs and $142,911 in operating costs which includes contracts for our audit software system, computer equipment, professional contracts, continuing education to support legally required professional standards, and basic office supplies.
We project modest budget increases over the next several years to adequately meet our obligations. Most of the increase is directly tied to new employee salaries. We expect increases in funding will be offset by cost savings identified through our audits, investigations, and reviews such as the over $18M in questionable costs which the OIG identified in FY25.
OIG CURRENT STAFFING
Since December of 2019, the OIG has experienced significant growth in both its oversight responsibilities and staffing levels. The expansion of the OIG’s audit mandate and responsibilities related to MCPS has led to a necessary increase in staffing of 50% since FY22 from 14 full-time employees (FTE) to 21 FTE. That number however has remained steady since 2024. The staffing levels within these Divisions continue to be below what was planned during the OIG’s previous four-year staffing plan and what has been requested in the past three budget cycles.
PROJECTED STAFFING PLAN
The proposed staffing plan for FY26-29 balances measured growth with mindfulness of County fiscal concerns. It recognizes the requirements placed upon the office by County law and the demands of residents and County leaders for thorough, independent analysis. For these reasons, the staffing plan proposes a phased in approach for adding four additional staff in both the Audit Division and Education Oversight Division which will bring the OIG’s full staffing complement to 29 full-time employees by FY29.
*****
So let’s see: the OIG is projecting a 20%+ budget increase and a 38% staffing increase in three years. Let’s note that the OIG does not control its own budget – that’s up to the county council. However, the council has already quadrupled the OIG’s budget since FY20. I bet that the only thing that would stop it from adding more money is a big recession (which in these crazy times can’t be ruled out).
Here’s a phone call you never want to get. “Hello, this is the Internal Revenue Service.” For MoCo bureaucrats, here is a close second. “Hello, this is the Office of Inspector General.”
There is no doubt that the OIG inspires fear and dread among incompetents and malefactors throughout county agencies under its purview. However, the office has a huge impact that delivers real value for taxpayers. Its revelation of MCPS’s background check problems, for instance, may have raised the hackles of school district leadership but will lead to improved school security in the future. So it will go with other investigations yet to come.
So let the bell of bureaucratic doom ring! And let the phone calls begin.