ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the opening of the County’s new Department of General Services (DGS), consolidating the functions of the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Facilities and Division of Real Estate Services under one singular leadership.
Our new DGS will allow Howard County Government to build a holistic and strategic vision of the County’s real estate, buildings, and leased space in order to better serve our residents. The consolidation of these functions under one leadership structure will help ensure a cost-effective, efficient, and responsive delivery of services for years to come.
The County’s Department of Public Works is one of the County’s largest departments in both personnel and breadth of operational responsibilities, encompassing operations, maintenance, security, and custodial services of most County buildings, land acquisitions, lease agreements and development-related agreements, engineering of public projects, solid waste management, stormwater management, traffic control, sidewalks, public roads, public water, sewer, and wastewater treatment.
The creation of the DGS will transfer and blend the key real estate, building operations, and maintenance functions of the County under a new Director, providing the opportunity for greater communication, collaboration, and strategic coordination. The new department will also provide a core leadership team with greater visibility of the County’s land, leases, and facilities, improving responsiveness to residents, user agencies, and the Howard County Council.
Made up of 108 positions, the new DGS will be comprised of four bureaus:
- Real Estate Management (formerly Real Estate Services Division)
- Planning, Design and Construction (formerly Bureau of Facilities’ Design and Construction Division)
- Operations and Maintenance (formerly Bureau of Facilities’ Operations and Maintenance Division)
- Contracts and Security (formerly Bureau of Facilities’ General Services Division)
The County joins Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Prince Geroge’s, and Montgomery counties, who have also implemented similar general service structures, separating real estate and facilities management functions from their Department of Public Works.
With the passage of Council Bill 9-2025, the Howard County Council approved the creation of the DGS on March 3, 2025 and the department’s operations were funded by the adoption of the County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget by the Council on May 21, 2025.
While the County conducts a comprehensive search for the DGS’s Director, Emily Iacchei, Chief of the former Real Estate Services Division, has been named the department’s Acting Director.
To contact the DGS, email generalservices@howardcountymd.gov.