Governor Moore Directs Cabinet to Enhance Fiscal Oversight and Audit Resolution Procedures

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has instructed his cabinet to review and strengthen audit resolution procedures across state agencies, aiming to bolster fiscal responsibility. This initiative is complemented by a proposed $24 million investment in the FY2027 budget, earmarked for operations designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse within government programs. The governor’s office is also seeking to deepen its collaboration with the legislative Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee to collectively address audit findings.

The governor’s office stated that these measures are being implemented at a time when Marylanders are particularly attuned to how their tax dollars are being spent, citing federal actions that have impacted job numbers and increased living costs. Governor Moore has emphasized the administration’s commitment to confronting and reforming long-standing fiscal system inefficiencies. The proposed FY2027 budget includes specific financial allocations to improve the state’s fiscal management, with $16 million designated for the modernization of the state’s financial management system, bringing the total allocated for this project to $66 million. An additional $5 million, along with supplementary staffing, is intended to assist in resolving recurring audit findings within agencies. Furthermore, $2 million is proposed for enhancing the state’s fiscal leadership capacity and recruitment efforts, while $1 million will support the extension of the Government Modernization Initiative, managed by the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement, to identify cost efficiencies.

Governor Moore’s directive outlines a clear path forward for state agencies, requiring them to focus on programmatic oversight and systematically review outstanding state and federal audit findings. Agencies will also be tasked with articulating and refining their audit resolution procedures, with a requirement for centralized reporting to monitor progress. In collaboration with the Department of Budget and Management’s Audit and Finance Compliance Unit, agencies are expected to streamline best practices and share relevant tools and techniques. The governor’s chief of staff will be responsible for overseeing progress and ensuring alignment with established outcomes.

The Acting Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management noted that the proposed FY2027 budget represents a significant investment in strengthening the state’s fiscal operations, management, and oversight. The administration’s plan is described as a deliberate and targeted approach to ensure that every tax dollar is utilized effectively and for its intended purpose.

These actions and investments build upon the Moore-Miller Administration’s ongoing commitment to fiscal prudence and government modernization. In January 2025, in response to a significant budget crisis, Governor Moore signed an executive order that mandated state agencies to collaborate with the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement. The objective of this order was to analyze data to identify operational cost savings, streamline processes, and eliminate redundancies to improve service delivery to taxpayers. This initiative is projected to generate substantial savings for Maryland taxpayers, with estimates suggesting up to $50 million in one-time and recurring savings for the current year. Already, the initiative has reported achieving $29 million in savings through measures such as optimizing the state vehicle fleet, terminating unused telecommunication services, streamlining laptop procurement, and negotiating large state contracts. The government modernization initiative will continue to pursue contract adjustments and policy realignments to achieve further savings, running in parallel with the governor’s new directive.

The Chief Performance Officer for the State of Maryland indicated that the governor’s new directive is one in a series of steps aimed at improving government operations. This approach is characterized as data-driven and focused on ensuring that government functions more effectively for the residents of Maryland.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Office of Governor Wes Moore

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