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Hogan creates office aimed at 'streamlining' government

Rachel Baye

More than 40 years ago, then-Gov. Marvin Mandel re-organized a host of state commissions, offices and agencies into 12 departments with cabinet-level secretaries. At an afternoon news conference Tuesday, Gov. Larry Hogan said it’s time to take a second look.

Currently Maryland has more than 20 executive branch departments and 70 independent agencies.

“Unfortunately, over the past 40 years, our state government has again gotten off track, becoming increasingly more cumbersome, unwieldy and out of control,” Hogan said.

He tapped former Anne Arundel County Executive and state Senator Robert Neall to oversee a new state Office of Transformation and Renewal — a post Neall called his dream job.

The plan is to improve efficiency, accountability, and customer service in state government.

Hogan said it’s not clear what the end result will be, but he hopes it will be smaller government.

“Hopefully there will be some consolidations and some streamlining and things that make more sense,” he said.

He also suggested the changes could create savings that permit new tax cuts.