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(RANDALLSTOWN – August 14, 2025) – When I wrote earlier this year that Baltimore County seemed to be “getting its act together” on race, I meant it. There were signs of progress — more diverse appointments, long-overdue conversations about equity in leadership, contracting, and representation. But in politics, progress can be fragile. And nothing illustrates that better than the storm now brewing over former Inspector General Kelly Madigan, Council Chair Julian E. Jones Jr., and Councilman Izzy Patoka.
Barry O’Connell’s reporting already outlined a disturbing pattern in Madigan’s work — selective scrutiny, exclusion of Black professionals, and even the omission of clear exculpatory evidence in Jones’s case. It’s simple: Is Madigan hunting Julian to help Izzy? That’s the question swirling in conversations from Lochearn to Essex.
Now comes an even bigger bombshell: the Pikesville Plaza scandal. According to county sources and fresh reporting, Patoka allegedly made a political deal to campaign for Madigan so she could stay in office — not out of principle, but to ensure she wouldn’t dig into the Pikesville Plaza mess.
This seven-story office building in the heart of Pikesville is condemned. Engineers flagged critical structural failures. Renovations were allegedly done without permits. Tenants were forced to evacuate with just hours’ notice. And yet — despite the scale of the failure and the public safety implications — Madigan’s office never released an investigation.
If true, this is no longer just about oversight ethics. It’s about whether Baltimore County’s top watchdog was muzzled to protect a political ally — and whether that ally, now a leading candidate for County Executive, is sitting on a scandal that could sink his campaign or even land him in legal trouble.
Why This Matters in 2026
Blacks in Baltimore County are overdue in the County Executive department. Ken Oliver made history as the first Black County Councilman. Julian Jones went further, becoming Council Chair — even after defying the Black political establishment to beat Oliver. Baltimore County’s Black political activism, rooted in Ella White Campbell and carried forward by leaders like Delores Kelley, Dunbar Brooks, Cheryl Pasteur, Adrienne Jones, Ben Brooks, and N. Scott Phillips, has built a foundation of influence. But foundations mean nothing if voters don’t protect them.
And that’s where this election comes in. The County Executive race is between Patoka and Jones. According to January filings, they’re nearly tied in cash on hand — about $1 million each. Which means the real fight will be over public perception. If the Madigan/Jones investigation is weaponized to smear Jones while the Plaza scandal is buried to protect Patoka, then voters are not getting a fair contest.
The Voter’s Role
We, the voters, must be the firewall. Demand transparency on Pikesville Plaza. Demand to know why no IG investigation was released. Demand that any allegations against Jones be backed by facts, not selective leaks. Show up. Volunteer. Get your neighbors engaged. Baltimore County has a chance to break from its history of sidelining Black leadership at the moment it matters most — but only if we refuse to let backroom deals decide our future.
If this scandal is real, then the watchdog wasn’t just asleep — she was guarding the wrong door. And if that’s the case, then maybe the watchdog and the councilman she protected both need watching.
