The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is trying to revive the long-dormant job of inspector general before the fall elections.

Supervisors fine-tuned their plans for new auditing and inspector general offices and could vote on the issue later this month. The current proposal would include five new positions: an inspector general, a deputy inspector general, an auditor and two office assistants.

Supervisors debated the deputy position at a finance committee meeting Tuesday and, despite reservations over annual salary expenses, approved the measure unanimously.

Supervisor Lori Waters said hiring a deputy would improve continuity in case an inspector general leaves the office with investigations in flux.

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“When the previous one left, there was a void, and there was no one with institutional history on what projects had been planned,” Waters said.

The county has been facing a federal corruption investigation for much of this year, and the supervisors have been trying for months to develop a new investigative team that would enable the county to scrutinize its own programs and investigate allegations of corruption.

“I think it’s a key position we need — and we need it desperately and we need it now,” Supervisor Jim Clem said. “I ask that by the next meeting that we could have something in front of us to vote it up or vote it down. ... That’s a position I feel is paramount to our organization.”

The inspector general could also dig into spending on specific programs, identify inefficiencies and help the board know where to cut, Finance Committee Chairman Eugene Delgaudio said.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com