La Plata, Md. — Charles County Commissioners received an informational briefing December 2 on the distinctions between an internal auditor and an inspector general, as county staff outlined potential expansions to oversight functions. Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall opened the session, with Acting Deputy County Administrator Danielle Mitchell and County Attorney Wes Adams detailing the roles.
The current internal audit process in Charles County focuses on reviewing internal operations through financial, operational and compliance audits. An inspector general’s office could extend beyond county government to encompass the sheriff’s office, enabling investigations, inspections and broader oversight. Similar authority could be granted to the internal auditor via charter amendments. “The Inspector General is a little more incident-driven, while the Internal Auditor office is more a consistent evaluation of CCG operations,” Wes Adams, County Attorney, said.
Jacob Dyer, Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services, reviewed general fund budgets across Maryland’s 24 counties and their oversight structures. All counties maintaining both internal audit and inspector general offices have budgets between $2.3 billion and $7.6 billion. Charles County’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget stands at $595 million.
Commissioners directed staff to prepare a draft updated internal audit charter for the December 9 meeting, incorporating possible expansions to jurisdiction and authority. A briefing on draft legislation is scheduled for January 6, 2026.
In a separate briefing, commissioners learned about activities at Phoenix International School of the Arts, the county’s first public charter school. Staff provided an overview of charter school regulations, district oversight, curriculum and state report card statistics from the most recent school year.
Phoenix International School of the Arts, located in La Plata, serves 167 students in grades six through eight with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to one. Opened for the 2023-2024 school year, the tuition-free institution integrates a comprehensive arts curriculum—covering dance, music, acting and visual arts—with the Cambridge International Lower Secondary Curriculum for core academics, meeting Maryland State Department of Education standards. Students engage in daily arts classes and can specialize in specific disciplines while pursuing global academic benchmarks that emphasize critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning.
The Maryland State Department of Education released 2025 school report card data November 4, covering the 2024-2025 school year and measuring academic growth, student performance, chronic absenteeism and other indicators. Charles County Public Schools overall demonstrated gains in these metrics, with 43 percent of Maryland schools earning four or five stars statewide and 86 percent rated three stars or higher. Phoenix International School of the Arts appears unranked among Maryland middle schools in separate evaluations, reflecting its recent establishment and focus on balanced arts-academic programming.
Maryland counties vary in oversight mechanisms. Montgomery County maintains an Office of the Inspector General with a mandate to review program efficiency and detect fraud, operating under a $3.2 million budget in fiscal 2025. Prince George’s County has an Office of the Inspector General focused on public safety investigations. Baltimore County established its inspector general office in 2020 to identify waste and abuse. Howard County supports an inspector general through an advisory board for accountability in operations. Baltimore City operates a separate Office of the Inspector General with annual reporting requirements. Smaller counties like Charles often rely solely on internal auditors, aligned with budgets under $1 billion.
The briefing aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance transparency in local government, a priority in Maryland where state law under the Public Information Act requires open records. Commissioners’ request for charter revisions could involve public hearings if amendments proceed, following procedures in the county code. Draft legislation in January may address statutory changes needed for expanded powers, potentially requiring approval from the Maryland General Assembly.