Prince George’s County Deserves an Independent Inspector General

Prince George’s County already has offices that deal with ethics, audits, investigations, and accountability, but the work is spread out and too often tied to the same government it is supposed to watch. When questions come up about contracts, grants, spending, poor management, or whether a program actually worked, residents should not have to wonder who is looking into it. An independent Inspector General would bring those oversight functions together in one office with the power to investigate fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, misconduct, and mismanagement, audit County programs and spending, follow taxpayer dollars, and report findings directly to the public.

This is not about one politician, one administration, or one scandal. It is about fixing the system so accountability does not depend on who is in office. The Inspector General would have protections so political leaders could not easily control who gets investigated, cut the office’s funding when they do not like the work, bury reports, or remove the Inspector General for doing the job. This measure will not be on the 2026 ballot because that deadline has already passed. We are organizing for the next general election we can legally qualify for, which we expect to be the 2028 presidential election.

Now we have to build the campaign. We plan to collect far more than the minimum number of signatures required, with a goal of 50,000 signatures to show that Prince George’s County residents are serious about independent oversight. We will need people to collect and verify signatures, organize neighborhoods, reach civic and faith groups, help at events, work with data and technology, support communications and fundraising, and help spread the word. If you believe the people watching government should be independent from the people being watched, join the coalition and help us put real accountability into the County Charter.

Visit our website to learn more.

Prince George's Coalition for an Independent Inspector General.