The Office oversees the Office of Community Grant Management and the Purchasing Department.
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY GRANT MANAGEMENT
The Office oversees the Gaming Commission and the Local Management Board.
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
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Two divisions are overseen by the Health and Human Services Department: Human Resources, and Recreation and Fitness.
RECREATION & FITNESS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION
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.
PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
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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OFFICE OF BUDGET & FINANCE
For the Board of County Commissioners and the County Administrator, the Office of Budget and Finance provides fiscal advice and administration. In this, the Office develops operational and capital improvement budgets for the County. The Office also develops multi-year projected budgets, and oversees budget management for County agencies (County Code, secs. 2-301 through 2-304).
Providing financial support to local organizations, the Office of Community Grant Management 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.
GAMING COMMISSION
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).
Overseeing human resource management, and recreational activities for the County, the Health and Human Services Department also coordinates and conducts safety and risk management training for county agencies. In addition, the Department 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.
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 County Administrator, the Public Relations and Community Affairs Department is responsible for access to information and activities of County government, as well as disability programs and grants.
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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