Maryland's spending board approved the final installment of $267 million in school construction spending Wednesday, bringing the state's investment in aging K-12 public campuses to more than $1 billion in three years.
Gov. Martin O'Malley heralded the "historic" investment as proof of his commitment to education, and Comptroller Peter Franchot called the approval a "major step forward" toward rebuilding the infrastructure.
O'Malley and Franchot sit on the board with Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, who also voted for the installment, which goes to school districts across the state. The money was raised through the sale of state bonds.
The rest of the morning meeting was characterized by squabbles over procurement methods, which are under heightened scrutiny at a time of economic recession.
Franchot voted against a $1.25 million contract awarded by the Maryland Lottery for help in procuring and managing state-owned slot machines legalized by voters last year. He objected because there was only one bidder, WhiteSand Consulting Inc. of Atlantic City.
In an unusually heated exchange with the head of procurement at the Department of Juvenile Services, the usually mild-mannered Kopp angrily denounced an emergency $581,000 lease of 170 GPS units used to track juvenile delinquents.
Marcus Filson, the procurement officer, said juvenile services had to make the last-minute deal - without competitive bids - because the agency was worried about a spike in crime around the holidays. Pressed by Kopp about why DJS didn't prepare, Filson said, "We weren't thinking."
O'Malley asked Budget Secretary T. Eloise Foster to remind all state agencies to use emergency procurement liberties only in cases of real emergencies.
The DJS contract was approved.
