Annapolis, md. (WBFF) – The Maryland Expenditure Council approved $ 445 million in new information technology contracts despite legislators who still have unanswered questions on $ 1.03 billion in IT project expenditure that a legislative audit has shown that a state agency could not explain.
The audience of the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), generally chaired by Governor Wes Moore, was launched Wednesday morning with Lieutenant-Governor Aruna Miller serving at his headquarters as his agent.
Before the Board of Directors began to discuss the collection of almost half a billion dollars of additional expenses for agile resources at the level of the state he contracts, the Brooke Lierman controller announced that she was recalling before leaving the room.
The 45 -minute BPW hearing, held in the Governor’s reception hall, in front of the office of the Governor of Maryland State House, was dominated by the discussion of computer contracts.
The Agile Agile Contract of the State is an integral part of the operational requirements of Maryland health and social services programs on the MD THINK platform, “said the agenda of the BPW meeting. “The contract provides the resources necessary to maintain daily operations, carry out critical platform maintenance and implement essential improvements in the system and new features.”
Two weeks ago, the agile resources he contracted was suddenly withdrawn from the BPW agenda after a bipartite group of state senators criticized additional expenses.
The BPW Agenda said that many of the state social protection programs, such as the additional nutrition aid program (SNAP), additional security income (SSI) and Medicaid state programs, are in danger without the allocation of additional BPW contract. The supply process has been sealed for the dozens of contracts proposed in the allocation of agile resources, according to the BPW agenda.
ATIF secretary Chaudhry, chief of Maryland Department of General Services, testified before the other members of the BPW board of directors of three members that immediate measures are necessary to avoid the potential loss of federal funds for computer contracts.
“While recognizing and fully respecting the Council’s duty and commitment to protect the State’s budgetary integrity by ensuring that expenses are necessary, appropriate, responsible, just and legal, the Ministry of General Services fully supports the procedure with the allocation of the Agile Resource Contract on a state level despite protests and ongoing calls,” said Chaudhry.
Maryland regulations allow private sector companies to file demonstrations and calls with the State if they believe that sellers who successfully receive state government contracts do not meet the minimum project requirements, cannot do the work for the amount of supply, the State has not taken into account all bidders, or the state -changed state in the evaluation process.
State files show that more than 20 protests and calls have been submitted to the State Board of Directors. In mid-December, Governor Moore appointed former senator Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City, to fill a long-standing research position on the supervisory board of the almost judicial government contract.
We understand the magnitude of this decision and requiring meticulous surveillance, “said Chaudhry. “However, the need to protect the substantial interests of the State and the federal funding of public services on which Marylanders depend very strongly requires the decision of the board of directors here today.”
The member of the BPW board of directors, Dereck Davis, the state treasurer, read a letter from state senators before requesting a vote on computer contracts.
“Rather than trying to summarize it, I want to read what they have given me, just so, even if we do this today, their feelings about what we do, well, you will get the tone of the declaration they have prepared,” said Davis.
The treasurer read the declaration sent by state legislators.
“The legislature has a lot of questions about how this contract can devote the same old man, the same old man who has not worked for decades,” said David. “On many occasions, it has been specified that agencies do not have the internal capacity to represent the State as project managers on major IT development projects.”
The letter of the legislators referred to the detailed conclusions of a financial audit of September 2024 led by the office of the legislative audit of Maryland. The audit examined contract management activities of the Maryland Information Technology Department (must) from May 7, 2018 to December 31, 2022.
Must not examine the methodology of key estimates, such as the cost and the calendar, and has not obtained an explanation of the significant changes, “said the audit. “For example, it has not been able to explain why the estimated cost to complete two projects has increased by more than a billion dollars.”
The same legislative audit became the focal point of a heated debate later Wednesday afternoon in the Senate budget and taxation committee. Senator Katie Fry Hester, the counties of D-Howard and Montgomery, testified in support of a bill that she proposes to increase transparency and to rationalize computer computer contract reports.
“The lack of clarity, authority, management and surveillance has really led to poor project management, cost overruns and failures,” said Senator Hester. “(T) he has verified that must delegate significant responsibilities to state agencies without ensuring that state agencies had sufficient resources and qualified personnel.”
A few hours before Senator Hester testified on Wednesday in the Senate Committee, the BPW approved the $ 445 million contract with a 2-0 vote.
State del. Ryan Nawrocki, county of R-Baltimore, said Spotlight on Maryland On Saturday, he is angry with BPW’s decision. He cited what he described as fundamental failures documented in the management of the State of IT contracts.
“We are currently in a massive budget hole. The budget deficit of $ 3 billion seems to increase day by day, but over the years it is expected to exceed $ 6 billion, “said DEL. Nawrocki. “We cannot continue to dig when we are in this hole.”
We were able to get this expenditure problem under control, ”added DEL. Nawrocki.
Governor’s office Moore said Spotlight on Maryland By e-mail that the approval by BPW of the 39 computer government contracts in the private sector was essential. A spokesperson said that the governor had implemented measures to improve monitoring of the IT project “which was deficient under the previous administration”.
“The Moore-Miller administration has made significant changes to the MD Think program in the past two years to resolve significant problems and ensure that it can be sustainable and usable in the future,” said the Governor’s office.
Spotlight on Maryland On Wednesday, the Governor Moore’s office on his absence during the BPW hearing, especially since he had no contradictory events on his public schedule. Requests were also sent to the Lierman controller office requesting clarification on his decision to challenge himself from the vote.
None of the two offices responded to Spottlight on Maryland Questions.
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