ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 22, 2026) —  Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman joined Governor Wes Moore and Treasurer Dereck Davis today for a meeting of the Board of Public Works. 

During the meeting, the Board of Public Works approved maintaining the current state property tax rate for fiscal year 2027, ensuring no increase as the state continues to meet its debt obligations. The Board of Public Works moved to indefinitely debar Andrew Seabolt from consideration for, awarding, or performing, directly or indirectly, a contract with a public body.

As previously reported, Seabolt & Sons, owned by Andrew Seabolt, received more than 120 state maintenance contracts, each under the $15,000 approval threshold, from a Maryland Department of Juvenile Services official between 2013 and 2016, totaling approximately $1.2 million in payments. In exchange, Mr. Seabolt provided the official with significant personal benefits for which the official made no payment. This arrangement was part of a broader bribery and procurement fraud scheme, to which Mr. Seabolt later pleaded guilty to multiple bribery charges.

“Debarment is one of the most direct tools this Board has to protect the integrity of Maryland’s procurement system,” said Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.  When someone is debarred, their name is added to a list that every state agency and public body in Maryland is required to check before awarding a contract. If your name is on that list, you cannot do business with the State. Doing this protects taxpayers and the businesses that play by the rules.”

Comptroller Lierman continued, “With today's action, this Board will have debarred six individuals in roughly six months. To put that in context, the historical average for the Board was about 2.3 debarments per year. This reflects this Board's deliberate commitment to take these cases seriously and move them through the process. Honest businesses benefit from debarment because it prevents competitors from winning public contracts through fraud or bribery. Taxpayers benefit from debarment because it means state dollars are going to qualified, responsible contractors. And communities benefit from debarment because the projects that get built actually get built right. Maintaining a current, enforceable debarment list is fundamental to a procurement system that Marylanders can trust.”

In all, the Board of Public Works approved 118 items, representing total state expenditures of $319,037,703.71. This includes:

• Approved grant agreements for 35 recipients for 39 projects located in 11 counties and Baltimore City, with a total value of $38,310,500.
• Eleven items awarding $9,014,761.50 to certified small business prime contractors.
• Six items awarding $4,306,102.50 to certified minority business enterprise prime contractors.
• Ten items awarded with established participation goals for minority business enterprises.
• Two items awarded with established participation goals for veteran-owned small business enterprises.

Meeting documents for today’s meeting can be found here

The next meeting of the Board of Public Works will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.