House approves extending term of inspector general
The tenure of Ohio Inspector General Randall J. Meyer would be extended two years — at his suggestion — as part of the state budget passed Tuesday by majority House Republicans.
An amendment sought by Meyer would offset the inspector general’s term from the governor’s “to minimize possible political influence and maximize the political independence of the office,” Meyer’s office said.
Currently, state law synchronizes the terms of the governor and the inspector general, with the governor required every four years to nominate an inspector whose appointment is subject to Ohio Senate approval.
Model legislation recommended by the National Association of Inspectors General suggests staggering the terms of the appointing authority (in Ohio, the governor) and watchdogs to better ensure independence, said Joshua Beasley, an attorney with Meyer’s office. The group also further recommends terms of five or seven years.
Meyer met with House leaders to seek the change, Beasley said. It would extend Meyer’s term to Jan. 11, 2021, two years into the term of the state’s next governor. His term currently is due to expire Jan. 11, 2019. Under the new plan, the inspector general’s terms then would revert to four years.
“I think it’s good to have those checks and balances there and have that overlap,” said House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville. “It’s good to have a little bit of consistency there in the inspector general’s office while a new administration is getting up and running.”
Meyer is empowered to investigate wrongdoing in the governor’s office, cabinet agencies, state boards and commissions and state universities. The office was created in 1988.
Asked whether the governor’s office supports the move — or believes a governor should be allowed to nominate an inspector general at the beginning of his or her term — spokeswoman Emmalee Kalmbach said Kasich’s staff “will study every aspect” of the House-passed budget. It now goes to the Senate for hearings.
With the Senate’s approval, Republican Gov. John Kasich appointed Meyer to serve as inspector general and retained him in 2015. Meyer, a former police officer, was chief investigator for Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor when she served as state auditor.
Meyer, who was paid an annual salary of $109,673 last year, has caught some criticism over the years. In late 2015, using the inspector general’s own investigative records, The Dispatch reported that a former chief of staff to Taylor apparently had improperly worked 30 hours on the state clock on the 2014 Kasich-Taylor re-election campaign.
Meyer’s investigators did not write about the politicking on state time and did not question campaign officials or Taylor about the matter, with his office later suggesting that it would have been difficult to prove.