Legislators Push For Stronger Scrutiny In MSA Dealings

O’Malley Urging Stronger Oversight Of Maryland Stadium Authority

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and state legislators said that “stronger oversight and new management are needed” for the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA), but MSA officials said that reports of “hundreds of thousands of dollars in severance packages paid to former employees without proper oversight were ‘salacious’ and overblown,” according to Andrew Green of the Baltimore SUN. After a recent audit of the MSA, legislators said that they will “likely take a much stronger hand in managing” the authority. O’Malley said that the audit “will be the basis for a change in leadership.” O’Malley: “We’re aware that there are problems at the [MSA].” Green notes O’Malley last week nominated Fred Puddester, a former head of the state budget department, as MSA Chair. MSA Chair Robert McKinney, appearing before an Appropriations subcommittee hearing, said that the “problems identified by the audit largely occurred under ... previous” leadership. McKinney said the MSA is “being very well managed, very well run. The auditors’ report, unfortunately, has been made salacious in the press reports” (Baltimore SUN, 2/23).