October 31st, 2018 by WCBC Radio
A Maryland General Assembly committee is digging into concerns about whether politics are playing a role in state hiring. The Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight is seeking more information about state employees at Grade 19 or higher who were vetted by the Governor’s Appointments Office before being hired.
Cindy Kollner, executive director of the Office of Personnel Services and Benefits, provided the committee with one basic detail at a sparsely attended meeting on Tuesday in Annapolis: Between July 1, 2017 and Sept. 27, 2018, 346 of the 771 people hired by state agencies at Grade 19 or higher had been vetted first by the Governor’s Appointments Office.
Lawmakers are concerned that the office is considering the political leanings of state applicants or other information that should not be relevant to their qualifications for employment. The search for information stems partly from a bill introduced last legislative session by Del. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard and Baltimore counties).
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