By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
As Brooke Lierman’s first year as comptroller comes to a close, the AFRO reflects on her accomplishments and goals as Maryland’s chief financial officer and general accountant.
In 2023, the Comptroller’s Office of Maryland processed more than $2.7 million in tax returns and sent out $1.8 million in refunds valued at more than $2.25 billion.
Lierman said the Comptroller’s Office of Maryland was able to pass several bills that echoed her goals for the office.
“The themes of our legislation last year, and frankly this year again, were public engagement, transparency and modernization,” said Lierman. “We passed several bills, including HB 707/SB 660, to create the office of taxpayer advocate.”
“Unlike our neighboring states and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Maryland has no taxpayer advocate office. The legislation would broaden the scope of the existing ombudsman’s office, which is small, to help taxpayers resolve complex and sensitive problems,” continued Lierman. “We will be ready to hit the ground running as soon as we have the full staff in the fiscal year 2025 (FY 25) budget starting on July 1, 2024.
There were five other bills the agency was able to get passed and signed into law. The legislation will start planning for a new modern statewide accounting system and help the agency dispose of long-time abandoned property held by the Unclaimed Property division.
Another facet of Lierman’s priorities is improving opportunities for Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) by following up with businesses that have low MBE participation, asking for answers, better goals and results.
“I believe I’m an independent advocate looking out for the best value for taxpayer dollars. That means looking at our MBE percentage, at the sustainability of how we’re spending our dollars, at whether we’re working with partners based in Maryland and that whenever possible, we can be working with small businesses,” said Lierman. “Sometimes that means unbundling contracts so that we can work with smaller businesses around the state rather than just one large business.”
Lierman’s modernization efforts include improving the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), creating a new state-wide accounting system, and releasing a new tax system for all business taxes.
“We have one of the oldest systems in the nation right now,” said Lierman.
Another big part of the agenda for 2024 is Maryland’s FY 25 budget, especially as the fiscal year is expected to face a $418 million structural deficit, according to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services.
“We have low unemployment and high household wealth, but our economy is growing at a slower rate than the U.S. and our neighbors,” said Lierman. “We know there is a tax gap in Maryland, which is the gap between what is owed and what is paid. I want to make sure everybody is paying their fair share in Maryland.”
The Board of Revenue Estimates, which Lierman chairs, finalized their projections for FY 25 on Dec.14, which will help Gov. Wes Moore (D) create his proposed budget by Jan. 17, 2024.
January
Brooke Lierman was inaugurated as the 34th comptroller of Maryland on Jan. 16, becoming the first woman to be elected as comptroller in Maryland. One of her first initiatives was to announce agency budget priorities and top initiatives for the comptroller’s office, which included modernizing the office and ensuring financially stable families.
February
Comptroller Lierman urged Marylanders to sign up for health insurance during tax season. Maryland’s Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program allows Marylanders to check a box on their tax returns. The comptroller outlined three legislative priorities in February. The first bill would generate a directive to produce a new general accounting system for the entire state government, establish an Office of the State Taxpayer Advocate, and create a rebate program withheld from or paid due to Unemployment Insurance (UI) payments received in 2022.
March
Lierman appointed the first-ever chief information officer (CIO) for the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland on March 7. The CIO will oversee all technology functions for the office. The internal tax processing system was shut down for a week in March, which held up the processing of tax returns and direct debit and refund requests. The comptroller highlighted in a statement that the malfunction is an example of why the office needs modernization and updated information technology (IT) systems.
April
The Office of the Comptroller of Maryland urged residents to stay vigilant about fraudulent notices of property seizures due to unpaid debts. The office included a list of things the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nor the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland will not do if a person owes back taxes. In April, six agency bills were signed into law, which included a bill that allows the comptroller’s office to get rid of longtime abandoned property with no commercial worth and a bill to create a taxpayer advocate office in Maryland. April also marked Lierman’s first 100 days in office.
May
Lierman announced eleven new advisory councils and work groups to help guide the agency’s policies, new endeavors and priorities. The advisory councils include business, climate, financial literacy and labor. The work groups include information technology and tax practice. The groups will meet quarterly throughout their two-year terms, which were set to begin during the summer months.
June
The Comptroller engaged in PROTECT Week, a statewide education and awareness initiative focused on elder abuse and financial exploitation, alongside several state agencies. Lierman announced that people whose names are on the Unclaimed Property list could file a digital claim form through Maryland OneStop, a hub for state licenses, certificates, registrations and more.
July
Lierman joined Vice President Kamala Harris and the Maryland legislators to announce a $20 billion competition to stimulate the development of U.S. clean energy projects. The two competitions were created to help bring clean energy opportunities to all Americans through a nationwide clean energy financial network.
August
In August, Lierman made her rounds throughout the state for various events including the National Night Out, which recognizes law enforcement for the work they are doing in the community, and her Take a Look with Brooke Tour to meet county commissioners and businesses. She also helped authorize $204 million in state expenditures through the Board of Public Works, of which she is a member.
September
Lierman released the FY 2023 Closeout Report, stating that the state’s economy remains stable but is experiencing some challenges, which include the effects of national inflation. She also shared that the budget ended with a $555 million budget surplus, meaning there is money left over at the end of the fiscal year according to treasury.gov.
October
Lierman announced two new additions to her executive leadership team, Maria Robalino and Robyne McCullough. Robalino is the deputy comptroller for public engagement and communications and McCullough is the director of media relations. Comptroller Lierman also announced a new online engagement tool that will help inform and connect Marylanders through agency updates.
November
Lierman attended the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation’s “Business Over Breakfast” event at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, where she spoke about the agency’s priorities to enhance opportunities for Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprises. Lierman announced tax relief for Maryland taxpayers impacted by the Hamas-Israel conflict. Eligible individuals and businesses can request penalties and interest be waived through the comptroller’s office.
December
Through the Board of Public Works, Lierman helped officiate a new lease of Camden Yards between the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) and the Orioles on Dec. 18. The lease will allow the Orioles to remain at Camden Yards for another 30 years. The Orioles have been at Camden Yards since 1992. The Office of the Comptroller of Maryland announced that Lierman’s Baltimore office will transition to 7 Saint Paul St. in January 2024, meaning some services will be provided at the new location and others at the old site – 301 West Preston St.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.