Maryland’s spending board, the Board of Public Works (BPW), approved $445 million in new information technology contracts despite concerns over $1.03 billion in unexplained IT project spending. The contracts were a collection of supplemental expenditures for Statewide Agile Resources IT contracts, essential for supporting Maryland’s Health and Human Services benefit programs.
Secretary Atif Chaudhry testified before the BPW board, emphasizing the importance of immediate action to avoid the potential loss of federal funds for the IT contracts. Despite concerns raised by state senators and private businesses filing protests and appeals, the contracts were approved with a 2-0 vote.
The approval sparked criticism from lawmakers, including Del. Ryan Nawrocki, who highlighted fundamental failures in the state’s management of IT contracts amid a substantial budget deficit. There are calls for increased transparency and streamlined reporting of state IT contracts to ensure better oversight and management.
Gov. Wes Moore’s office defended the approval, stating that measures have been implemented to enhance IT project oversight under the Moore-Miller Administration. However, questions remain about Gov. Moore’s absence at the BPW hearing and Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s decision to recuse herself from voting.
Spotlight on Maryland, a joint venture by FOX45 News and The Baltimore Sun, continues to investigate and report on this issue. If you have news tips or information on this story, you can contact Gary Collins at gmcollins@sbgtv.com.
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