Franchot Wins National Award for Fiscal Excellence and Leadership

(Annapolis, MD) - In recognition of his work as the fiscal watchdog for the taxpayers of Maryland, cracking down on tax cheats, cigarette smuggles, illegal alcohol and motor fuel sales, closing corporate tax loopholes and launching the first-in-the-nation program to ensure that federal contractors are paying their fair share in state taxes, the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) today announced that Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has been chosen as a 2008 William R. Snodgrass Distinguished Leadership award recipient. The award will be presented at the AGA’s Sixth Annual National Leadership Conference being held February 21-22 in Washington, D.C.

“Comptroller Franchot’s outstanding leadership skills and dedication to state government financial management have been tremendous. Our profession has benefited greatly from his leadership and it is fitting that he should be recognized with this prestigious award. The state of Maryland should be proud of this profound achievement,” stated Relmond Van Daniker, AGA Executive Director.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by such a distinguished and universally respected organization as the Association of Government Accountants,” said Comptroller Franchot. “When I took office I promised the people of Maryland I would take an already outstanding agency and do my best to take it to the next level. By following through on my promise, with tough, independent policies and by always working for what is fiscally best for Maryland, not just politically best, I believe we have supercharged this Agency. I thank all my employees for their efforts and promise the people of Maryland that we will continue to look for ways to improve our service to them.”

Each year the AGA presents a maximum of two crystal awards to state government professional who exemplify and promote excellence in government financial management and who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in enhancing sound financial management legislation, regulations, practices, policies and systems.

The William R. Snodgrass Distinguished Leadership award recognizes the outstanding leadership of individuals in state government that led to improved financial management and consistently exhibited the highest personal and professional standards.In calendar year 2007, Maryland received more than $19.7 million in back taxes from nearly 27,000 delinquent taxpayers, which is nearly $1 million more than the previous year. The Comptroller's Office is also streamlining government to increase productivity and make processes more efficient and economical.

In addition, during his first year in office, Comptroller Franchot achieved several goals that helped win this award, including:

• Provided stepped up enforcement and auditing of video gaming machines;
• Took aggressive action against corporate real estate tax loopholes, known as captive REITS, which was followed up by legislative action in the General Assembly;
• Strongly supported the state's Minority Business Enterprise program, which earned you an award and recognition in the minority business contracting community; created the dynamic that led to the Microsoft agreement to work towards more inclusion in its business practices; state agencies are now sending contracts that meet and exceed goals in greater numbers; working towards including capital grants in the process as well.
• Worked to reenergize the State's life science community; hosted the Maryland Life Science Summit and sponsored the first statewide, comprehensive economic impact study.
• Worked as a fiscal watchdog on the Board of Public Works: actions have saved the state over $40 million (Charlotte Hall contract) and protected state employees in the prescription drug contract;
• Advocated in support of the Darfur Divestment legislation;
• Led the fight for public safety legislation that banned Alcohol Without Liquid Machines and required new "fire-safe" cigarettes technology;
• Advocated for public health legislation such as the successful statewide smoking ban, and comprehensive health care reform; and
• Led the fight for energy efficient "green" building projects in state agencies and school systems across Maryland.
• First Comptroller to visit all Register of Wills offices and working to help streamline their operations.

The Association of Government Accountants (AGA) supports the careers and professional development of government finance professionals working in federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector and academia. Founded in 1950, AGA has a long history of being the thought leader for the government accountability profession. Through education, research, publications, certification and conferences, AGA reaches thousands of professionals and provides more than one hundred thousand continuing professional education (CPE) hours annually.

For more information on the AGA and its Leadership Conference log onto www.agacgfm.org.