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DoIT seeks $14.9 million for Maryland First; contract, sole-source maintenance and replacement costs flagged
Summary
DoIT and DLS briefed the Capital Budget Subcommittee on MD First (statewide interoperable public-safety radio system). DLS recommended $14.9 million in GEO bonds for FY26; staff raised procurement risks tied to an expiring Motorola contract and identified replacement costs not yet in the allowance.
The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) requested $14,900,000 in general obligation bond funding for FY26 to support the Maryland First statewide interoperable public safety radio system, the department and Department of Legislative Services analysts told the Capital Budget Subcommittee.
DLS analyst Yashoda Rai summarized four observations the committee should consider: the existing Motorola contract expires in November 2025 and has separate project-work and maintenance components; DoIT planned a no-cost extension for project work but the extension would not cover maintenance; DoIT determined most RFP functional areas are Motorola-proprietary and is reviewing a proposed sole-source six-year maintenance contract from Motorola for approval before the Board of Public Works; and replacement costs for dispatch consoles and base-station radios reaching end of life are not yet included in the FY26 allowance.
Why it matters: The radio system supports first-responder interoperability across Maryland and national-capital-region events. Procurement timing, sole-source maintenance and unbudgeted replacement costs carry schedule and fiscal risk.
What DLS reported:
- DLS recommended approving the $14.9 million GEO bond allowance for the MD First subprograms included in the packet (coverage-improvement, fiber expansion, in-building antennas and geo-redundant control sites).
- DLS requested DoIT brief the committees on contingency plans if contract approval or other procurement steps extend beyond the current Motorola contract expiration (November 2025) and whether contingencies would increase state costs.
DoIT's comments and operations:
- Acting Secretary Melissa Lehman told the committee MD First is mission-critical and now supports more than 122,000 registered users, averaging over 3.2 million transmissions per month. "The system now supports over 122,000 users and averages over 3,200,000 transmissions per month," she said.
- DoIT staff described planned workstreams covered by the FY26 request: expansion of radio sites to close coverage gaps, fiber-optic transmission to replace microwave in some locations, in-building bidirectional amplifiers (BDAs) for indoor coverage, and additional geo-redundant control sites to improve resiliency.
- DoIT acknowledged phases 1'5 of the original infrastructure build and said site installation and upgrades to Ethernet are underway; DoIT expects closeout activities for earlier phases by November 2025.
Procurement and budget risks noted by DLS and DoIT:
- Contract timing: The Motorola contract's maintenance component is not covered by the proposed no-cost extension. DoIT has received a proposed sole-source maintenance contract from Motorola and expects to submit it to the Board of Public Works for approval in spring; DLS asked for a contingency plan if approval extends past November 2025.
- Proprietary components: DoIT found seven of nine functional areas in an earlier RFP to be Motorola-proprietary, which limited competition for long-term maintenance.
- Unbudgeted replacement items: Replacement costs for dispatch consoles and base-station radios reaching end of life still require cost estimates and were not included in the FY26 allowance.
DLS and DoIT highlighted the project's multi-year cost estimate (about $97.8 million through FY30 for the planned subprograms) and the FY26 operating-budget impact (DoIT requested operating increases and eight regular positions connected to MD First). The committee requested DoIT return with contingency planning and specific cost estimates for end-of-life replacements.
No formal committee vote was recorded during the presentation; DLS recommended approval of the FY26 GEO request in its package and requested procurement follow-up from DoIT.
