Maryland Gov.-elect Larry Hogan named former state Sen. David Brinkley to be his budget secretary on Thursday.`
Hogan, a Republican, campaigned almost entirely on financial issues in his upset victory in a heavily Democratic state, and there has been considerable interest in state government about who would get the budget secretary job.
Hogan has avoided details about his budget proposal next week; he has said he will still propose tax cuts this session, despite a $750 million budget hole projected for the next fiscal year.
Brinkley also avoided commenting in detail about the budget, deferring until next Thursday when Hogan has scheduled a news conference the day before it is formally scheduled to be presented to the Legislature. Lawmakers will work on it for much of the 90-day legislative session that began Wednesday.
"Our big concern is to focus on getting borrowing and spending on a workable trajectory, because right now it's not workable," Brinkley said.
Brinkley brings about 20 years of experience as a Republican state legislator. In 2003, he became a senator representing Frederick and Carroll counties. Brinkley has held leadership positions in the Senate. He was minority leader from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2013 to 2014. While a senator, he served on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which steers state spending.
Brinkley lost his primary bid last year to a challenger who argued Brinkley was not conservative enough.
Hogan also named Sam Maholtra to be secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources. Maholtra is the founder and CEO of Subsystem Technologies Inc., an information technology services company based in Rosslyn, Virginia.
The selections were two of more than a dozen administration jobs Hogan announced.
Hogan also named Clay Stamp to be director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. Stamp has been the director of emergency services for Talbot County.
Hogan takes office on Wednesday.
