FY2025 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets

FY2025 Proposed Budget Organizational Budgets

County Attorney’s Office

County Attorney ’s Office The County Attorney ’s Office is the legal advisor of the county and its offices, departments, boards, commissions and agencies. This office issues opinions, gives advice upon any legal question affecting the interest of the county, and represents the county in most legal actions. The County Attorney ’s Office is responsible for the written preparation of laws, resolutions, deeds and leases; review of contractual documents; drafting of bills for the Maryland General Assembly; and, the enforcement of county laws in Maryland courts.

The office represents the Frederick County Executive, the Frederick County Council, and various departments and agencies of county government primarily in civil matters. This Office is unable to provide legal advice to citizens. In alignment with the County Attorney, the Ethics Commission administers the Frederick County Ethics Law by encouraging and enforcing compliance by Frederick County officials and employees covered by the Law. The duties of the Ethics Commission include making determinations on alleged violations of the Law, granting or denying exceptions to the Law, giving advisory opinions on application of the Law, and recommending Law changes. There are seven members and one alternate serving on the Commission and they serve three year, staggered terms. They are appointed by the County Executive and affirmed by the County Council. During the 2021 Maryland General Assembly session the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, was passed and enacted. This law requires each County to establish a Police Accountability Board (the PAB) and an Administrative Charging Committee (the ACC) to administer complaints made against police officers. The PAB will receive complaints of police misconduct, hold quarterly meetings with heads of law enforcement agencies and work with these agencies and the County Government to improve matters of policing, and review outcomes of disciplinary matters considered by the ACC. The ACC has the responsibility to review the findings of a law enforcement agency’s investigation of police officer misconduct after a complaint is forwarded by the PAB and make a determination if the police officer subject to the investigation should be: administratively charged or not administratively charged. If the police officer is to be charged, then recommend discipline in accordance with the law enforcement agency’s disciplinar y matrix and issue a written opinion that describes in detail its findings, determinations, and recommendations. All members of the PAB, and two of the five members of the ACC, are appointed by the County Executive and affirmed by the County Council. The County Attorney’s Office provides legal guidance to both the PAB and ACC.

184