Mission Statement

The Department of General Services (DGS) proactively serves the diverse business and service requirements of all County departments, providing a single point of government-to-government service, enabling departments to successfully complete their respective missions, and thereby, adding value to the services performed by Montgomery County to County residents.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Department of General Services is $59,263,281, an increase of $3,747,358 or 6.75 percent from the FY26 Approved Budget of $55,515,923. Personnel Costs comprise 42.60 percent of the budget for 245 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 180.25 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 57.40 percent of the FY27 budget.

In addition, this department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) requires Current Revenue funding.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• A Greener County
• Effective, Sustainable Government
• A Growing Economy

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY26 estimates reflect funding based on the FY26 approved budget. The FY27 and FY28 figures are performance targets based on the FY27 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY28.

Initiatives

• Develop and implement a skilled-trades apprenticeship program in electrical, plumbing, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) to address workforce shortages, strengthen in-house capabilities, and build a sustainable talent pipeline.

• Implement countywide electric vehicle charging stations across fleet and public facilities, launch building-level energy awareness campaigns, expand Building Automation Systems (BAS) modernization, review the request for proposal for demand response participation and modernize energy procurement, continue utility bill auditing; secure $1,200,000 in new incentives to perform energy savings projects, and support the Maryland Energy Administration Block Grant.

• In support of delivering resilient and clean-energy facilities that strengthen community services, lower carbon emissions, and ensure critical community support remains available during major grid outages, the department will complete solar microgrid upgrades at the Public Safety Communications Center and Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operation Center Phase I, construct the zero-net-energy microgrid at Holiday Park Senior Center, and launch microgrid projects at over twenty designated Resiliency Hub facilities.

• Advance the design of the nation's largest renewable-powered, zero-emission fleet and transit depot, expand the County's zero-emission vehicle fleet, and achieve operational cost savings through innovative procurement strategies in support of zero-emission fleet expansion.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Completed capital repairs across multiple County facilities-including the Martin Luther King Jr. Outdoor Pool, Avery Road Treatment Center, Montgomery County Correctional Facility, 401 Hungerford Ave, 8818 Georgia Ave, and the Germantown Outdoor Pool-to ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and installed lactation rooms in all occupied County buildings to promote equity and inclusivity.

• Completed a utility-bill audit of over 23,000 accounts, recovering credits and water adjustments; achieved full compliance with the 2024 Energy Benchmark Law; and secured $1.1 million in state and utility incentives, including Pepco's Monitoring-Based Commissioning "Big Check" award exceeding $1 million.

• Digitized thousands of records to improve accessibility and reduce physical storage needs, and upgraded mail services with real-time tracking and secure processes, resulting in $167,097 in mailing cost savings.

• Trained more than 3,000 County employees on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, equal access, ensured Countywide ADA Title II compliance, fulfilled reasonable accommodations, and achieved zero ADA facility complaints or related litigation.
• Completed a state-of-the-art fiber hub in support of the multi-phase United Therapeutics project in downtown Silver Spring and executed a long-term lease to relocate the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Shady Grove Bus Depot, enabling the redevelopment of Crabbs Branch Way into a new MCPS depot, mixed-use development, and park/school site.

• Completed the Oaks Landfill Solar Photovoltaic Project, a 6-megawatt ballasted ground-mount system and the largest solar installation on County property. The project includes a community solar component serving low- and moderate-income residents and an advanced feasibility assessment for up to 60 megawatts of additional solar and hydrogen generation to support County climate goals.

Program Descriptions

  Administration

The Administration program provides services in three key areas: 1) The Director's Office provides overall leadership for the department including policy development, strategic planning, emergency preparedness and operations, accountability, service integration, performance measures, and customer service; 2) The Office of Planning and Development in the Director's Office supports the County...

  Central Duplicating, Imaging, Archiving, & Mail Services

This is an Internal Service fund program that provides timely and efficient document management to County government through high-speed digital printing services, graphic design, electronic publishing, high-speed color digital printing, full-service bindery, large format and banner printing, digital imaging, and electronic and physical archiving of County records. The program administers...

  Real Estate Program

This program provides for leasing, site acquisition/disposition, space management, and site evaluation. The leasing function recommends, plans, coordinates, implements, and administers the leasing of real property for both revenue and expense leases, including closed school facilities, at the best economic and operational value to the County. Site acquisition is the...

  Energy and Sustainability

The Energy and Sustainability (ES) program is responsible for facilitating comprehensive energy and sustainability strategies across County operations. It leads the County's green government programs which crosscuts County departments and DGS divisions. Specifically, ES supports, implements, or facilitates programs to improve energy efficiency, expand clean energy use, promote sustainable sites,...

  Facilities Management

The Division of Facilities Management's mission is to provide the comprehensive planning and delivery of maintenance services and oversight of building-related operations at County facilities used by County staff and residents. Components of these programs are: routine, preventive, and corrective maintenance; custodial and housekeeping, grounds maintenance, recycling, and trash removal...

  Building Design and Construction

This program provides for the overall management of the department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for facilities. This program includes the comprehensive, timely, economic, and environmentally efficient planning, design, and construction of buildings for County use, as well as public venues owned by the County. This program also provides comprehensive architectural...