HOGAN NAMES STATE SENATOR AS BUDGET BOSS, MoCo CEO AS HR SECRETARY

Frederick County scored a major player in the incoming administration of Larry Hogan, as the Republican Governor-elect named State Senator David Brinkley as Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management. Brinkley served in the Maryland General Assembly for two decades.

"Our big focus is to get borrowing and spending on a sustainable trajectory," Brinkley said, standing before a color-coded chart showing such expenditures outstripping revenues on the state's present course. What will get cut to do that? The budgetary suspense will continue for another week.

"We're going to roll out our entire budget package 24 hours after I'm sworn in," Hogan said at Thursday's press conference in Annapolis. "You'll have every answer to every question," he promised.

Asked about the fate of Montgomery County's controversial Purple Line light rail project, Hogan said, "no decision has been made." The governor-elect appointed Pete Rahn as his Secretary of Transportation earlier this week.

Hogan also tapped a Montgomery County resident to be his Human Resources Secretary. Sam Malhotra is CEO of Arlington-based Subsystem Technologies, and has been an active fundraiser and supporter of Holy Cross Hospital and the local Republican Party. Malhotra is a graduate of Harvard Business School.