In her opening remarks, Comptroller Lierman talked about the 2024 Tax Filing Season, which ended Monday, and the pride she has for the Office in concluding another successful tax season. 

“We are now focusing on processing the tax returns we received in the last few days leading up to the filing deadline,” Comptroller Lierman said. “I’ll be going by our mail room today to say ‘keep going, good job’ to the dozens of employees we have who are literally opening thousands and thousands of envelopes…. To date, we’ve processed more than 2.5 million tax returns since early February and have disbursed more than 1.5 million tax refunds, totaling $1.94 billion.”
 
Over the course of the year, the agency processes more than 3.2 million returns. Comptroller Lierman said she is extraordinarily proud of the level of commitment and hard work of her team and that Maryland is home to one of the most effective and efficient revenue administration agencies in the nation despite having the oldest tax processing system in the nation.

“We are working, as you know, to update that, and we’re very proud that we’ve moved our business taxes into a new online portal, Maryland Tax Connect, and a new system on the backend as well,” she said. “Over the next few years, we’ll be working to make sure that we move all of our taxes to a new lone and secure system.”

On the Maryland Transportation Authority Light Rail and Metro Subway Link Maintenance Contract and meeting Minority Business Enterprise goals, the Comptroller asked for an explanation for why the vendor is not achieving its MBE goals.

The MTA requested a one-year renewal option on a contract with RailWorks Track Service to provide 24-your maintenance and emergency response services.  

William Parham, acting director of procurement at MTA, explained that the MTA had given inaccurate advice to the vendor. He said the MTA has been working with Railworks and that the company has surpassed the 11 percent goal set forth in the contract.

On a Capital Grant Supporting Baltimore Community Lending’s Small Business Development and Resource Center, Comptroller Lierman praised their “yeoman’s work.” She noted that since the pandemic, 29 percent of new businesses were started by women.

The $750,000 grant to Baltimore Community Lending supports their Small Business Development and Resource Center in Baltimore. As a certified community development financial institution (CDFI), it is dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending products to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities as a one-stop business center.

“We know that women traditionally have a harder time accessing capital, especially Black women,” Comptroller Lierman said. “So if we are going to create a stronger and more diverse economy in the State of Maryland, CDFIs like Baltimore Community Lending are essential to making sure women and others who have been kept out of some of the capital availability space have access to capital so that they can move their businesses from a side business that’s growing to employing people and really thriving.”