Kelly Madigan resigns as Baltimore County inspector general following reappointment controversy

Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan announced her resignation Monday, months after she was told she had to undergo a reapplication process, stirring controversy in the community. 

The inspector general is responsible for investigating waste and fraud in the county and notifying the county executive and county council to address complaints. 

Madigan has served in the role since it was created in 2019, and received public support after County Executive Kathy Klausmeier told her she had to reapply earlier this year. 

Klausmeier ultimately nominated another candidate, Khadija Walker, though the nomination was denied by the County Council in a 5-2 vote in August, leaving Madigan in the role. 

Madigan will resign on Jan. 2, 2026, and will begin serving as Howard County's first inspector general starting on Jan. 5. 

"After the Interim Baltimore County Executive chose to seek a new inspector general rather than extend my tenure, I interviewed for the newly created inspector general position in Howard County," Madigan said in a letter. "When the offer was recently extended, I struggled deeply with the decision. The public support for myself and the office has been extraordinary, and it weighed heavily on my decision."

Deputy Inspector General Steven Quisenberry will serve as Acting Inspector General. He also serves on the Inspector General Advisory Board, but had recused himself when Madigan had applied.

Kelly Madigan addresses reappointment controversy

In a letter shared Monday, Madigan said her decision to resign "has been one of the hardest" in her professional life. 

Madigan addressed the reappointment process in her letter, saying, "...This summer, many of you witnessed firsthand the uncertainty surrounding the future of this office and my role in it." 

According to Madigan, her term as Inspector General was not renewed following the process, and she has been serving in a holdover capacity since January 2025. 

In an interview with WJZ reporter Dennis Valera, Madigan said those were the main reasons that pushed her to leave.

"If you want someone who's gonna be fair and balanced, call balls and strikes, look at complaints, treat everybody the same — you have to give them a term," Madigan said. "Otherwise, we're just one report away from trying to be removed or trying to have somebody else come in. That's not what independent oversight looks like."

She encouraged the community to support the creation of the Inspector General Selection Board in the November 2026 election. The measure was proposed by County Councilman Izzy Patoka in July and would create a seven-member board that would be responsible for appointing the inspector general.

Patoka has been one of Madigan's biggest supporters since she was asked to reapply for her role. He said Madigan laid the groundwork for what an inspector general needs to be.

"I think [Madigan] did a good job at creating that office, giving that office continuity, getting the right people in place," Patoka said. "Then she had a very challenging job because of the investigative powers that even allowed her to investigate elected officials."

Howard County's first IG

Madigan will be working on creating a new office from scratch, just like she did in Baltimore County.

Howard County Council Chair Liz Walsh authored the original bill that kick-started the process to establish an OIG in the county. She said Madigan and Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming helped guide that initial bill.

"This watchdog who works for the county, who works for county taxpayers and is as independent as possible from political influence — that's what we got in place here in Howard County, and that's what Kelly Madigan helped create and will now step into," Walsh said.

The Howard County Council drafted bills that asked voters to authorize establishing an OIG, as well as an Inspector General Advisory Board. The board announced it had made an offer to a candidate at its Oct. 23 meeting.

The board's chair, David Salem, confirmed that over 50 people applied.

Madigan said she never thought she'd go for it.

"It's funny, in hindsight. Two people said to me last summer, 'Gosh, we'd love to have you come down here, would you consider it?' At the time, I thought no, I'm really happy with where I am," Madigan said.

While she still has a month to go, Madigan said she's ready to get started in Howard County.

"It's little things [at first], you have to establish a web page, a telephone number," Madigan said. "But, more importantly, you have to build trust and respect, which is hard to do. I think the way you do that is through actions, not words."