Press Release - Office of the Lt. Governor

Lt. Governor Presents Maryland's BRAC Action Plan to Governor  

Plan is blueprint for Maryland’s success

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 17, 2007) – Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown presented Maryland’s BRAC Action Plan today to Governor Martin O’Malley.  The report represents a blueprint of action that will prepare Maryland for the estimated 28,000 households moving to the State as a result of the 2005 BRAC decision.

“Two years ago, the Base Realignment and Closure decisions resulted in our State assuming a greater responsibility to our country.  We have taken on an expanded role in our nation’s defense and homeland security efforts,” said Lt. Governor Brown.  “New challenges arise with new responsibility, but also new opportunities.  Maryland is prepared and ready for the single-largest job creation in our state since the end of the Second World War.”

“I want to thank Lt. Governor Brown, the BRAC Subcabinet and all of the local and county officials who spent countless hours working together to develop the BRAC Action plan,” said Governor Martin O’Malley.  “BRAC will be here in 2011, but 2011 isn’t an end date. We have an obligation to future Marylanders – an obligation not just to preserve, but to improve, the enviable quality of life we enjoy in Maryland.”

The general public and regional jurisdictions that will experience the most growth and development associated with BRAC were invited to the 10 BRAC Subcabinet meetings held around the state in the last five months.  The chief executive in each BRAC-impacted community presented their priorities to the Subcabinet during those meetings.

“During these challenging times, we are working together at the local, State and Federal levels and with our private partners, toward the goal of a stronger integrated defense,” said Lt. Gov. Brown.  “The BRAC Action plan is our playbook for success.  It is a map that will guide our success in preparing for the creation of jobs and arrival of our new neighbors.  We are also keeping our promise to new and current Marylanders by investing in the long-term health of our physical infrastructure.”

The budget component of the BRAC Action plan reflects capital projects for Fiscal Year 2008 only.  These items are ongoing and demonstrate Maryland’s commitment to moving forward in BRAC implementation activities.  The legislative component of the draft action plan focuses on three main areas that will be submitted to the Governor:

• Maryland Higher Education Commission BRAC Fund – This proposed legislation will enable the Commission to support initiatives to address the higher education needs of the State related to BRAC.  Maryland’s higher education community will be challenged to provide appropriate and accessible postsecondary education and workforce training opportunities to meet the needs of the new citizens coming to our State as a result of BRAC.

• Enhanced Use Leases – This proposed legislation will provide greater flexibility for the State and County governments to negotiate with private commercial developers and military installations the proposed Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) developments on military installations.  Under the proposed legislation, a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) would provide flexibility to adjust tax payments to reflect that military installations provide some governmental services, like fire and police protection.  Giving a county or the State the responsibility for negotiating a PILOT with the EUL developers and military installations would promote a consistent approach statewide, allow for the consideration of regional issues, and give a county and the State more leverage in addressing its interests.

• BRAC Zones – The proposed legislation will provide local jurisdictions with incentives to build public infrastructure (e.g., streets, utilities and parks) in designated revitalization and redevelopment areas and provide incentives to locate BRAC employees and residents in targeted areas of the State in need of redevelopment and revitalization.  The purpose of creating BRAC Zones is to mitigate the impact of the large number of people coming to the State by directing population growth to areas that are served by public transit but have underutilized capacity in terms of housing, public facilities, and infrastructure.  In keeping with the principles of Smart Growth, which are to accommodate and encourage growth without contributing to sprawl, the program could include certain incentives, such as income tax credits, tax increment financing, and dedicated transfer tax for Program Open Space. 

The Maryland BRAC Action plan can be viewed at: http://www.gov.state.md.us/brac/. [ Fact Sheet ]

[ Listen to audio MP3's: Lt. Governor Brown - Governor O'Malley ]