The Executive Branch implements and enforces the laws of Maryland and provides executive leadership to the government. It consists of various officials and agencies authorized by the Maryland Constitution and state laws.
Constitutional Offices
The chief executive officer of Maryland is the Governor, who is elected by the voters to a four-year term in every even-numbered year that is not a presidential election year. The governor is responsible for ensuring that the laws of Maryland are effectively executed; that appointments are made as required by the Constitution or law; and that a budget is presented annually to the legislature. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the Governor ensures that the state’s armed forces are capable of meeting any emergency. The governor appoints judges to the state judiciary and can veto laws passed by the Legislative Assembly. The governor is assisted by a lieutenant governor, who is elected by a joint vote with the gubernatorial candidate. The duties of the lieutenant governor are limited to those appointed by the governor. The governor and lieutenant governor must be at least thirty years of age and have been a resident and voter of Maryland for the five years immediately preceding the election.
Other state officials are also provided for in the Constitution. The Maryland State Comptroller manages the financial affairs of the state. The State Treasurer keeps records of all deposits and disbursements into or out of the State Treasury. The Secretary of State attests to the Governor’s signature on all public documents and oversees all executive orders, commissions, and appointments. The Attorney General is the legal advisor to the governor, the legislature, and all state departments, boards, and most commissions. Voters elect the comptroller and attorney general. The State Treasurer is elected by a joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly, and the Secretary of State is appointed by the Governor. Each of these executive officers serves a four-year term.
An important body of the executive department is the Board of Public Works, which is composed of the Governor, the Maryland State Comptroller, and the State Treasurer. The Board approves all amounts spent through state borrowing, most capital improvements, and the sale, lease, or transfer of all real property owned by the state.
Departments
Between 1969 and 1972, the executive branch of government was reorganized to consolidate agencies performing related functions into a new departmental structure. The General Assembly created twelve cabinet-level departments covering nearly 250 separate government entities. In the order of their creation, the twelve departments were: Health and Mental Hygiene, Budget and Fiscal Planning, Natural Resources, State Planning, Personnel, General Services, Human Resources, Public Safety and Correctional Services, Licensing and Regulation, Economic and Community Development, Transportation, and Agriculture. In 1976, the State Department of Education became the lead department, and in 1983, the Department of Employment and Training was created.
In 1987, the General Assembly approved the second major reorganization of the government. The Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of Employment and Training were abolished. Their functions were reorganized into the Department of Economic and Employment Development and the Department of Housing and Community Development. In the same year, the Department of Environment was created to assume environmental responsibilities previously overseen by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Natural Resources. In 1989, the General Assembly transferred the responsibilities of the Department of State Planning to other agencies and formed a new Department of Juvenile Services.
Independent agencies
Some state agencies whose purpose or functions do not allow for easy integration into one of the nineteen cabinet-level agencies have remained independent. Examples of such independent agencies include the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, the State Board of Elections, the Civil Service Commission, and the University System of Maryland.
Executive Commissions and Task Forces
The executive departments and independent agencies are supplemented by special study commissions and task forces at the discretion of the Governor and the General Assembly.