MARYLAND MATTERS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2025
Members of a legislative oversight committee expressed concerns Wednesday about what they see as a shift in state policy that could sharply curtail, if not end, the Department of General Services’ role in operating state government office buildings.
Members of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee left the nearly three-hour hearing frustrated at a large-scale move of state offices from owned to leased space, with no documentation that the moves will save taxpayer money and are in the state’s best interests. The hearing raises the specter of potential legislation in the 2026 legislative session.
“We have a lot of follow up to do,” Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery), co-chair of the committee, said after the hearing.
Solomon said he expects “a lot of additional conversations around the process when moving from ownership to lease,” making sure lawmakers and the Board of Public Works have adequate oversight and understanding of the shift. “It’s a big policy change, and I think we need to make sure that we’re doing it correctly,” he said.
General Services Secretary Atif T. Chaudhry tried to assuage lawmakers’ frustrations by noting the hiring of a chief compliance officer to ensure cleaner future audits. And he told legislators his agency will work to develop a master plan for the state’s 30 million square feet of office space.
Recent Comments