By Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Much has been made in recent news reports about how State government purchases and sells land, but those reports ignore a far larger question: How does the State buy and sell all of its property? Marylanders deserve a complete and accurate summation of the facts in this debate.
When I took office in 2003, I followed through on a campaign promise and asked state officials a simple question: What property does the State own? Remarkably, no one could answer my question. In previous years, State government failed to inventory billions of dollars in state-owned property - cars, land, yachts, and airplanes - that were bought and maintained with taxpayer money. This was a lack of accountability for taxpayer dollars in the face of a $2 billion budget shortfall.
As a candidate for Governor, I promised efficient management of taxpayer dollars. Accordingly, I ordered an inventory of all State property to determine what holdings were worth the high cost taxpayers paid to maintain them.
In response, Chairman Thomas M. Middleton, a well-respected Senate Democrat, told The Baltimore Sun, "When you've got as big of a deficit as we have, you've got to be looking at every single thing. You may find you have a lot of state-owned land that serves no purpose, and it would make sense to sell."
Indeed, my inventory included a review of nearly a half million acres of state-owned land. As part of my efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay, I wanted to determine which land holdings improved the Bay's health and which holdings had little or no environmental value. This is consistent with the land purchasing policy I advocated last year and which was adopted by the State Board of Public Works - only purchase land if it directly improves the health of the Bay and its tributaries.
Once my Administration completes its inventory, we will initiate the public process to determine what property holds value for the people of Maryland, and what property siphons taxpayer dollars away from core government services. My political opponents claim this is a plan to turn parklands into condominiums. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our beautiful parks and public forests never were and never will be for sale. They will remain an integral part of my land preservation strategy, regardless of recent media reports to the contrary.
This exercise in good government has met heated opposition from a few political opportunists and interest groups, but they will not weaken my promise to the citizens of Maryland. I will restore accountability to State agencies that purchase, manage, and sell property with taxpayer dollars.
To date, we've enjoyed great success in disposing of questionable State property. We've saved millions of dollars by selling off symbols of luxury with little or no value to the public. We reduced the State vehicle fleet by 300 cars, saving taxpayers $4 million over seven years. We auctioned the state yacht for nearly $250,000, saving Maryland taxpayers $228,000 annually. We sold a state-owned plane for $470,000, and invested the money in programs that directly help people.
These actions are emblematic of my efforts to restore fiscal discipline in Annapolis after years of 'tax and spend' government. Make no mistake - our work is not done. We will continue scrutinizing state-owned property to determine whether it is worth the high cost taxpayers shoulder to maintain it.
In November 2002, the people of Maryland asked for accountability, fiscal responsibility, and innovative solutions to old problems. My Administration has provided an innovative solution to one old problem: throwing money at property with limited value. Marylanders can rest assured I will keep my campaign promise to preserve property and land of value while restoring accountability to State government.