The MarylandDepartment of General Services is a government agency located in the United States in the state of Maryland. As of mid-2020 the department was headed by Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. The agency manages, operates, and maintains multi-agency state facilities; assesses state-owned facilities and manages the renewal funds of those facilities; provides full spectrum real estate support to include acquisition and disposal of any interest in real property in the name of the state; master plans and manages space in state-owned and leased facilities; provides professional and technical services for the design and construction of state public improvements ; as a primary procurement agency, manages centralized procurement of materials, supplies and equipment used by state agencies; provides central support for state agencies relating to high-speed digital duplicating, mail processing and courier services; provides centralized inventory standards and controls; manages records of state agencies; and manages the disposition of state surplus property.
Mission
The mission of the Maryland Department of General Services is to provide leading-edge professional and technical services to keep state and local government working today and in the future. They do this by creating safe and secure work environments; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; procuring goods and services; and providing essential functions such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records storage.
History
The oldest function of the Department of General Services is the care of buildings owned by the state. Prior to the expansion of state government in this century, most of Maryland's few state buildings were located within State Circle in Annapolis. Other space, in scattered locations, usually was leased as needed. In 1845, the State Librarian was delegated some responsibilities for hiring people to look after public buildings in Annapolis. As early as 1849, an official referred to as superintendent of the public buildings was authorized to plant trees and repair gates and gutters. Monies were appropriated in 1852 for the salary of the "Superintendent of the public buildings in the State House circle". The 1860 budget provided a salary for a Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, but the position was not established by statute until 1888, although legislation in 1862 made the governor responsible for appointing a competent person for upkeep of buildings and grounds, two watchmen, and a Keeper of the Steam House and Furnace. The 1888 law specified the duties of the Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds; virtually the same text was used in the 1970 law that created the Department of General Services. In 1920, a commission was appointed to look into leasing or building a state office building in Baltimore, which later would require a buildings and grounds unit as well. When the executive branch of government reorganized in 1970, the Department of General Services was created. At that time, duties of the former Department of Public Improvements and State purchasing functions from the Department of Budget and Fiscal Planning transferred to the Department of General Services along with oversight of several previously independent agencies.
