Gov. Wes Moore recently offered fresh details about what a statement from his office describes as the “hundreds of millions of dollars” that taxpayers will enjoy long term as part of his previously announced “government modernization initiative.”
The newest projection identifies $30 million in “potential FY26 savings” from IT spending “outside of the Maryland Department of Information Technology,” according to the statement.
Savings will come from streamlining purchasing and cutting tech that isn’t regularly used, including “legacy landlines” and some mobile lines.
Using certain “IT assets” for a longer period of time also will contribute, as well standardizing laptop specifications and lengthier hardware refresh cycles.
The state’s IT department also has located $16 million in savings by “centralizing” identity and access management for the state, and “consolidating cybersecurity tools,” according to the statement, released just weeks after Maryland named a new acting cybersecurity leader.
Those savings will go toward other IT needs.
Procurement also takes part of the cost-cutting spotlight, with potentially $14 million in savings this fiscal year via “standardized delivery options” and shifting some costs to existing statement contracts.
The general idea, according to the statement, is to focus more on using statewide contracts that offer the “best rates.”
“While the federal government recklessly slashes budgets and lays off public servants, we are using data to save taxpayers money and modernize government in a targeted way,” Moore said in the statement. “This announcement is only the beginning of our efforts. Together, we will continue to prioritize fiscal discipline and ensure we deliver essential services to all Marylanders, efficiently and effectively.”
Total savings across tech, procurement, and vehicle fleet management could add up to $250 million in the next five years.
An additional $326 million in the next 20-25 years could come from savings in real estate, such as via the plan to close at least nine state-owned buildings in Baltimore.
