Beaufort Council split on scale of integrity function; some favor part‑time officer, others propose OIG‑style office

Beaufort County Council members expressed differing views on how to staff integrity work during a workshop discussion of a proposed whistleblower policy on Aug. 28. Some council members recommended starting with a part‑time integrity officer embedded within executive staff; others urged creating a fuller Office of Inspector General (OIG) model able to audit departments and pursue complex investigations.

One council member said an integrity officer should be identified on executive staff and not be a council member, and that person should keep a log, set timelines for investigations and decide whether to use outside investigators. "My recommendation is not to let anyone in the organization investigate this, but rather go to an outside organization or agency who have experience in doing these things to investigate this," the speaker said.

Another member suggested expanding the role to include routine departmental audits and broader oversight functions similar to federal and state OIG offices: "The OIG's mission is to provide objective oversight to promote the economy, efficiency and effectiveness and integrity... I would almost like to see the office expanded... to audit the individual departments and provide reports back to Council," the speaker said.

Council did not adopt either model at the workshop; members generally agreed to start with a workable policy, consider a part‑time officer initially and let operations determine if expansion is required. The administration was assigned to gather comparative information and cost estimates.