The Committee has eleven members. Nine are appointed to three-year terms by the Board of County Commissioners. Two serve ex officio as nonvoting members.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE
ETHICS COMMISSION
SALARY STUDY COMMISSION
The Commission will evaluate the adequacy of pay for the County Commissioners, the Board of Education, the Sheriff, the Treasurer, the judges of the County's Orphans' Court, and the Board of [Liquor] License Commissioners.
By December 1, 2020, the Commission is to report to the Board of County Commissioners.
Formed by October 2018, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee advises the Board of County Commissioners on public policy relating to ethnic affairs, promotes the involvement of all ethnic groups in business and community affairs, and advocates for services and programs relating to the quality of life for all residents, including the coordination and promotion of ethnic festivals.
Formed in September 2011, the Ethics Commission oversees the County's compliance with the State ethics law regarding elected local officials and Board of Education members (Chapter 277, Acts of 2010).
In September 2020, the Salary Study Commission was formed by the Board of County Commissioners.
Under the Office of Budget and Finance are the Office of Grant Management, and the Purchasing Department (County Code, secs. 2-301 through 2-304).
OFFICE OF GRANT MANAGEMENT
The Office is aided by the Community Organization Funding Committee, and the Gaming Commission.
GAMING COMMISSION
Serving two-year terms, seven members comprise the Commission. Four members are appointed by members of the County's General Assembly Delegation, and three are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. The Commission chooses the chair (Code Criminal Law Article, secs. 13-2416 through 13-2417).
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
The Division also oversees the County's Geographic Information System, which collects, organizes, and analyzes a wide range of county information including geographic, geologic, and demographic. The Geographic Information System then compiles this information in an interactive digital format, which is made available to government agencies and the public.
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Two departments are overseen by the Division: Human Resources, and Recreation and Fitness.
RECREATION & FITNESS
Public Relations and Marketing is responsible for access to information and activities of County government, as well as disability programs and grants.
The department oversees the Office of Disabilities Issues and the Public Information Office.
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
State and County taxes levied within Washington County are collected by the County Treasurer. All rights, remedies, and actions provided for the collection of taxes by law are available to the County Treasurer for the purpose of enforcing payment
of State and County taxes (County Code, secs. 2-101 through 2-105).
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Originally named the Office of Community Grant Management, the Office of Grant Management provides financial support to local organizations and manages the County contingency fund, and other funds to assist local non-profit organizations. To fund these, the Office collects revenue through local taxes on amusement device licenses, as well as tip-jar, bingo, and other gaming licenses, fees, and profits.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FUNDING COMMITTEE
Under the Office of Grant Management, the Community Organization Funding Committee allocates County funds to approved nonprofit charitable organizations that improve the community and quality of life for County residents (County Code, sec. 1-108).
Created in 1995, the Gaming Commission issues licenses, and administers and enforces State and County laws related to tip-jar and wholesale gaming in the County. develops regulations and advises the Board of County Commissioners and reports annually on gaming matters (Chapter, 636, Acts of 1995; Code Criminal Law Article, secs. 13-2415 through 13-2439). The Commission also administers the Washington County Gaming Fund, which is funded by license fees, and gaming revenue and penalties. The Fund pays for the operation and enforcement of gaming regulations. Additional Fund revenue is disbursed to the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, and local charities.
Responsible for the procurement needs of County government, the Purchasing Department posts and processes all bids, quotes, and approvals for County purchases as well as purchases by the city of Hagerstown in excess of $25,000. The Department maintains all records of vendors, purchase transactions and correspondence. To further aid resource management for the County, the Department maintains a central storage location (County Code, secs. 1-106.2 through 1-106.4).
HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION
The Human Resources Division manages employee hiring and termination, employee benefits, employee grievances, insurance, personnel policies and procedures, and workers compensation.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION
Procuring and developing hardware and software to meet County government communication and networking needs, the Information Services Division provides support for these systems, such as digital security, and tech support.
Under the Information Systems Division, the Department of Information Technology provides County government and related agencies with computer and technical services and systems. These include geographical information systems development and management; network operations; and software and technical support services.
DIVISION OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Overseeing human resource management, and recreational activities for the County, the Division of Health and Human Services also coordinates and conducts safety and risk management training for county agencies. In addition, the Division reviews all County contracts, and analyzes and reports to the Board of County Commissioners on compliance with insurance and Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) standards, as well as other potential concerns.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Human Resources administers County employment policies and procedures. It also provides for employee benefits, employment and safety training, and mediation in employee disputes.
Recreation and Fitness coordinates and provides athletic and entertainment activities and events for residents, such as summer camps, sport leagues, and athletic programs. It also oversees and schedules events for county recreational facilities.
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING
Originating as the Public Relations and Community Affairs Department, Public Relations and Marketing adopted its present name in October 2017.
OFFICE OF DISABILITY ISSUES
Serving as liaison between County government and the Washington County Disabilities Advisory Committee (DAC), the Office of Disability Issues also acts as the local representation of the State Department of Disabilities. In this, the Office manages State grants and programs at the local level.
To ensure public access to county government information, the Public Information Office maintains the County's website. In addition to producing webcasts of meetings of the Board of County Commissioners, the Department provides on-line access to agendas, minutes, and other public records. To further increase public awareness of government activities, the Department maintains pages within social media networks.
COUNTY TREASURER
From 1776 to 1843, the financial supervision of Maryland counties was overseen by two State Treasurers. One served the Eastern Shore, and the other, the counties west of the Chesapeake. In 1843, the two positions merged, and a single State Treasurer began to oversee each county's finances. Appointed annually by the Board of County Commissioners, the position of County Treasurer was established in 1870 (Chapter 222, Acts of 1870). Since 1934, the County Treasurer has been elected by the voters to a four-year term that begins the first day of January following the election (Chapter 555, Acts of 1933).
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