Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced plans Friday to search for efficiencies in state government with a goal of saving $50 million — which amounts to 0.08% of the state’s roughly $63 billion budget.

Moore touted the plan during a cabinet meeting in Calvert County, waving a laptop as an example of what he sees as broken government. All state employees, he said, get the same laptop, though the price the government pays for it varies from one department to another.

“It’s the same piece of machinery, but we’re paying different prices because we’re not streamlining the process,” said Moore, a Democrat.

He gave another example of the many vehicles that the state owns. Moore said his team found that the state owns some cars that are driven fewer than 1,200 miles per year — perhaps not the best use of tax dollars.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Beyond those examples, Moore and his administration have been light on the details as to exactly how and where they expect to find savings. Administration officials spoke to reporters about broad ideas such as improving information technology and reassessing the state’s real estate holdings and leased property.

The administration believes that the government efficiency initiative will result in $50 million worth of savings for the next budget year. Those to-be-determined savings will be included as part of the estimated $63 billion state budget that Moore will propose next week.

The potential $50 million in savings would represent a small step toward closing a budget gap of nearly $3 billion. Moore has said he’ll propose $2 billion in cuts to planned spending, but hasn’t yet outlined how he’ll close the rest of the gap.

The Moore administration is spending money to save money, having hired an outside consulting firm that will get paid 20% of whatever savings it finds among state departments. The company, Boston Consulting Group, would receive a maximum of $15 million from that 20% commission over the next two years.

Moore also hired an additional employee to help oversee the work, Elizabeth Sachs, who worked most recently in the administration of former Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., who is now a member of Congress.

Also overseeing the effort is Asma Mirza, who has been the state’s chief performance officer since 2023.