The nominee for Baltimore County Inspector General is meeting one-on-one with members of the county council in a push to have them vote to confirm her as the county’s next IG.
Khadija Walker likely will have a difficult time finding the support she needs on the council, which will decide whether she will take office.
Baltimore County Communications Director Erica Palmisano confirmed that Walker is meeting individually Monday and Tuesday with several council members before her scheduled appearance before the full council on Tuesday.
As of Sunday afternoon, meetings had been scheduled with council members Wade Kach, Izzy Patoka, Pat Young and Council Chairman Mike Ertel. Palmisano said they are trying to arrange meetings with the other council members as well.
County Executive Kathy Klausmeier nominated Walker last week, rejecting the current inspector general, Kelly Madigan.
Four out of seven council members, Republicans Kach, Todd Crandell, and David Marks, as well as Patoka, a Democrat, have said they will only vote for Madigan to be reappointed.
They have praised Madigan for doing a good job creating the office from scratch as the county’s first inspector general.
In an interview with WYPR last week, Kach said as an elected official he has an obligation to take a look at Walker’s resume but he added, “When you have somebody doing a good job and that person is interested in continuing that job, that's the direction that we need to go.”
Klausmeier has been criticized for not nominating Madigan for another term, as well as how she has gone about her search for a nominee.
The inspector general roots out fraud, waste and abuse in county government.
When she announced Walker’s nomination last Thursday, Klausmeier praised her for having more than two decades of experience, including with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Through our selection process, it became apparent that she (Walker) is the most qualified candidate to further advance the office and continue to preserve integrity and transparency in Baltimore County government,” Klausmeier said in a statement.
