http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/27/AR2007052701213.html

Franchot Expands Role of Md. Comptroller

By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 28, 2007; B01



The comptroller of Maryland strode into the church basement and leaned into the microphone. Before him sat two dozen supporters in gray metal folding chairs, gambling opponents awaiting a call to arms.

Peter Franchot didn't disappoint.

"I am not going to sit idly by while the national gambling industry seeks to get their hooks in our state and takes us down the wrong path!" the Montgomery County Democrat told the clergy and senior citizens gathered to resurrect their longstanding battle against legalizing slot machines in Maryland. He called Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) "a friend and an ally" but assured the crowd that slot machines -- being debated anew as the state faces a massive budget shortfall -- are where Franchot draws his line in the sand.

"Before, he was just some guy from Takoma Park," said Aaron W. Meisner, chairman of the StopSlotsMaryland Coalition, which organized Thursday's meeting at Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis. "People said when he was running that he didn't understand the role of comptroller. Now he's an important statewide figure."

A crusade against gambling might seem an unlikely job description for an office charged with collecting the state's taxes. But the former state delegate is expanding the reach of the office to encompass more policy, more publicity and just as much controversy as his predecessor.

"We're trying to supercharge the agency," Franchot, 59, said in an interview, "to take it to the next level."

It's already a big office: 1,100 employees, a $110 million budget, a seat on the state's retirement and public works boards, and responsibility for the state payroll, tax collections and refunds . But Franchot, having unseated political legend William Donald Schaefer in last year's Democratic primary, doesn't hide his ambition for more: a bully pulpit for progressive causes. Or, his detractors say, for himself.

"He's in your face," said Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who served with Franchot in the House of Delegates. "But I wouldn't let his tactics or style cloud the contributions he's making."

Since he took office in January, Franchot is as visible in the state capitol, if not more so, than Brown or Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, charismatic Democrats with higher-profile offices. The comptroller shows up everywhere, it seems: at a House committee where he testified for a higher cigarette tax to expand health care for the poor, at a Bethesda gas station Friday for a news conference outlining initiatives to deal with rising gas prices.

Franchot has announced plans to close a longstanding corporate tax loophole and flown to Boston to promote Maryland as a destination for life sciences companies. When a proposed multimillion-dollar pharmacy benefits contract appeared to be increasing costs for state workers, he stalled a vote before the Board of Public Works. The company responded by offering the state a better deal, cementing loyalty to Franchot from labor unions who helped elect Franchot.

"I've been very satisfied to be able to have an impact on policy issues," Franchot said. He described his expanded role as fulfilling his commitment to give voters "an independent, fiscal watchdog who's a progressive."

What falls within the state's chief's fiscal officer's domain and outside it is a delicate line, though. For example, he calls slots "a threat to the economic health of the state."

Schaefer was a flamboyant figure with a penchant for outrageous comments that landed him on the front page. Franchot never seems so happy as when he lands on the front page.

When his media coverage is less prominent than he had hoped for, an aide will complain.

Franchot is unapologetic: "In order to be an effective comptroller, I have to be in touch with as many of my constituents as possible."

To some it's a welcome change, this activist approach to a post that is an elected office in just a third of states. But Franchot's appetite for publicity has irritated some in Annapolis, who see him seeking influence beyond his job description.

"His job is to collect taxes," said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), who has tangled with Franchot on the cigarette tax and slot machine gambling. "It's not to muddy the waters. He needs to be the comptroller, not the governor."

It was Franchot who flagged the Board of Public Works this month about a controversial development of homes proposed on the Eastern Shore whose application for a wetlands permit warranted scrutiny. But without consulting the governor's legal team, the comptroller's office announced Franchot would tour the site and proclaim his opposition to the project. Franchot pulled back on the advice of O'Malley's lawyers, who said the governor, comptroller and state treasurer needed to visit the site together, with opponents and supporters on hand. Frustrated O'Malley's aides took over the outing.

Franchot has also run afoul of the administration with his decision to hire three top aides at salaries equivalent to those of some Cabinet secretaries. The comptroller acknowledged that some O'Malley officials balked at the salaries, but he said the governor understands "that I'm an independent constitutional officer."

Schaefer wondered how his successor could run the comptroller's office "if he's running all over the state. What he's shooting for is governor of the state of Maryland."

Franchot denies any sights on higher office. He said that although he lacks an accounting background, he relies on a professional staff of career managers to guide the comptroller's day-to-day operations.

Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), who also represents Takoma Park, said Franchot's "independence and unpredictability" haven't endeared him to Maryland's Democratic party leaders. "But it's what a lot of voters respond to."


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