Kelly Madigan announced this morning her resignation as Baltimore County’s first – and often embattled – inspector general, charged with detecting and uprooting fraud and waste in county government.

She said she has accepted the newly created position of inspector general in Howard County, effective January 5, 2026.

Last May, Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier refused to reappoint Madigan to a second term, setting off a public backlash that led to the Baltimore County Council refusing to approve Klausmeier’s pick, Khadija Walker.

The end result is that Madigan has remained in a holdover position with Klausmeier refusing to reappoint her. She could have continued in that role until voters select a new county executive next November, who could then make a decision on her permanent status.

• FOR THE BREW’S FULL COVERAGE OF KLAUSMEIER’S NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF MADIGAN

In today’s resignation letter – addressed “To the Citizens of Baltimore County,” not to Klausmeier – Madigan says, “I have confronted the reality that the tools and support required to safeguard integrity in the County government continue to be restricted.”

She continued, “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. 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. Ultimately, though, I decided that continuing indefinitely in a holdover capacity was not sustainable for my family or the mission of independent oversight in Baltimore County.”

“To ensure continuity for Baltimore County, I have appointed Deputy Inspector General Steven Quisenberry to serve as Acting Inspector General during the transition.”

BELOW IS THE TEXT OF HER RESIGNATION LETTER: