Department of General Sermces/267
Sani annual Report to State Treasurer on anticipated debt durmg next seven month period due Jan 1 &July 1

ORIGIN 8c FUNCTIONS

The Department of General Services provides goods and services efficiendy and economically to other
State agencies through bulk handling, purchasing, and warehousing, and by its expertise in lease
negotiation, contracts, bidding, and real estate transactions It studies the need for State office space,
acquires that space through lease, purchase, or construction, provides architectural and engineering design
services, and is responsible for maintenance and security on most State premises Assistance is available to
State agencies for keeping inventories, handling forms, managing records, designing graphics, and printing
Telecommunications systems are also a departmental responsibility

The oldest function now within the Department of General Services is the care of buildings owned by
the Stare Prior to the burgeoning growth of State government in this century, Maryland had few State
buildings, most of them encompassed 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
persons to look after public buildings in Annapolis (Resolution no 36, Acts of 1845) As early as 1849,
a person referred to as superintendent of the public buildings was authorized to plant trees and repair
gates and gutters (Resolution no 81, Acts of 1849) The 1860 budget provided a salary for a Supenn
tendenc 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 watchman, and a Keeper of the Steam House and Furnace (Chapter 341,
Acts of 1860, Chapter 15, Acts of 1862, Chapter 175, Acts of 1888) The 1888 law specified the duties
of the Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, virtually the same text was used in the 1970 law
chat created the Department of General Services (Chapter 97, Acts of 1970) In 1920, a commission was
appointed to look into leasing or building a State office building in Baltimore (Chapter 149, Acts of 1920),
which later would require a buildings and grounds unit as well

Also in 1920, the Central Purchasing Bureau, another component of the modern Department, was
formed (Chapter 184, Acts of 1920) The Bureau became part of the Department of Budget and
Procurement in 1939 (Chapter 64, Acts of 1939), then briefly moved to the Department of Budget and
Fiscal Planning in 1969 before it was incorporated into the Department of General Services in 1970
Through centralized purchasing, the Bureau since 1920 has provided supplies efficiently and economically
to all State agencies

The General Assembly in 1947 established the Department of Public Improvements to advise the Board
of Public Works and other State agencies on engineenng questions and other matters pertaining to
construction, renovation, maintenance, and repair of buildings, structures, and public works This
department developed the State Building Code Its functions now belong to the Department of General

Services

When the executive branch of government was reorganized in 1970, the Department of General
Services was created (Chapter 97, Acts of 1970) Ac that time, duties of the former Department of Public
Improvements and State purchasing functions from the Department of Budget and Fiscal Planning were
transferred to the Department of General Services along with oversight of several previously independent
agencies The War Memorial Commission, Washington Cemetery Board ofTrustees, Board of Architectural
Review, Office of the Superintendent of Annapolis Public Buildings and Grounds, Office of the Superin-
tendent of Baltimore Public Buildings and Grounds, Hall of Records Commission, Commission on Artistic
Property and the Purchasing Bureau constituted original components of the Department, although the
Washington Cemetery Board ofTrustees, Hall of Records Commission, and the Commission on Artistic
Property have since been statutonly removed

Under the direction of the Secretary of General Services, Department programs and services are
supervised by four Assistant Secretaries responsible for Finance and Administration, Facilities Manage-
ment, Services and Logistics, and Telecommunications and Information Services