Maryland Comptroller Leans into Climate Resilience for a Sustainable Financial Future | Article

Every state has someone in government charged with financial management and watching out for taxpayers. They may go by different titles, and their various functions are underappreciated when compared to their contributions to a state’s fiscal health. Most people would probably have to search online to find out who does this important job where they live.

But no state has an Office of the Comptroller quite like Maryland. And there has never been a Maryland Comptroller quite like Brooke E. Lierman, who took her post in 2023, after serving for eight years in the House of Delegates. Lierman is the 34th Comptroller in the state’s history and the first woman to hold the post. She is also the most clear-eyed when it comes to climate change and committed to ensuring her state’s finances can weather the storms of an uncertain future.

What makes the Comptroller of Maryland unique? One big reason is that it is a composite of roles and responsibilities that are generally split among several officials in other states. First created by the state constitution of 1851, the Comptroller serves as the chief financial officer, chair of key fiscal boards, and administrator of tax collections and refunds. To carry out these core functions and keep up with the times, the agency has expanded from two people to about 1,200. The Comptroller is also one of four officials elected on a statewide basis (along with, at present, Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, and Attorney General Anthony Brown).

“We set a new vision for the agency when I was sworn in last year,” explained Lierman, “to create a state that is more equitable, more resilient, and more prosperous so that every Marylander can reach their full potential.” And to do that, she recently announced three overarching strategic goals: implementing agency-wide improvements to help state government work better; reimagining how the resources and expertise of the office can make a positive impact on families, communities, and businesses; and ensuring that Maryland is well-positioned for responsible, long-term economic growth and success.

“I think there’s an imperative for every person in elected office to help tackle climate change from their position,” said Lierman. “And everybody in every position has something they can do. All of those ‘somethings’ add up to a lot.”

For someone in a one-of-a-kind position like that of Maryland Comptroller, there are lots of “somethings” to be done. “We have tried to bring a new focus on building and sustaining active partnerships with our fellow state agencies,” explained Lierman. This led to establishing a new climate resilience director position and hiring Kim Pezza, who previously worked in the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) climate change program, to foster interagency collaboration and knowledge-sharing with her counterparts.

A major role of the Comptroller—and an opportunity to encourage climate-smart thinking in state government—is sitting on the Board of Public Works (BPW) along with Governor Moore and Treasurer Dereck Davis. Every two weeks, BPW approves an average of $200 million in state spending and oversees bond issuances and property acquisitions. According to Lierman, BPW plays an essential role in ensuring that Maryland uses its resources to promote climate resilience by pushing agencies to make wise, long-term decisions. “When we think about how we position Maryland over the long-term, so much of that is about … ensuring that when we are approving state dollars to be spent, we ensure that those dollars are building a more climate-resilient government and state,” she said.

One example of how BPW encourages agencies to consider climate resilience in big spending decisions involves the Baltimore headquarters of MDE. “[MDE] negotiated with their landlord a 20-year lease in exchange for a $10 million renovation of the entire building to create an all-electric infrastructure and install solar panels, a green roof, and gray water system in the building,” recounted Lierman. The new agreement was eventually approved by BPW and signed into effect, resulting in a major clean energy investment in the city’s largest office building.

Within the Office of the Comptroller, Lierman is focused on modernizing the agency to improve the experience of taxpayers. “I am surprised at the level that our agency relies on paper,” she reflected, noting that about one million paper checks are sent to her office each year. To facilitate more online filings for security, efficiency, and sustainability reasons, she launched the new Maryland Tax Connect portal for businesses in January 2024, with a rollout for other taxpayers scheduled to take place over the next 18 months.

During her time in the legislature, Lierman sponsored legislation, which later became law, requiring the State Retirement and Pension System to “consider certain climate risks on the assets … to ensure a long-term sustainable portfolio.” To her and other comptrollers and treasurers across the county, risk is risk, climate or otherwise. What matters most is their fiduciary duty to pensioners to be good stewards of the money they set aside for retirement. “We are pushing back against these false ideologies that posit climate risk against investment risk, when really, it’s the same thing.”

Maryland has more than 3,100 miles of coastline, which puts the state near the top of the list when it comes to risks associated with climate impacts like sea level rise. “Because of our location and topography, we are just highly susceptible to the effects of climate change,” explained Lierman. “We are going to have to make serious investments to ensure that the state and our neighborhoods and communities are safe over the coming decades.” One such investment involves $60 million allocated by the Governor and General Assembly to raise and rebuild the Inner Harbor promenade—a novel and very visible feat of engineering in the heart of Baltimore.

The price tag is steep, but what choice does the state have? “It’s only going to get more expensive,” said Lierman. “Making sure that as we’re spending those dollars, that they are being spent in a way that is building a more climate-resilient state is just common sense.”

“There’s no excuse,” Lierman continued. “We can make sure that we’re holding ourselves all accountable for how we spend our dollars.” And that is what the Maryland Office of the Comptroller is all about.

Author: Daniel Bresette