Before the Board of Public Works votes on the $1.5 billion redevelopment of State Center in Baltimore City December 17, it needs to read this.

Given the timing of the vote, the project, no matter how noble its goals, will force Gov.-elect Larry Hogan to add a massive item to his budget without his input. More importantly, it forces taxpayers to pay above market rates for space for state employees when plenty of alternatives exist in downtown Baltimore at a time those same taxpayers voted for a big change in the state’s high tax and spending culture and at a time when existing payments on bond debt could force a hike in the property tax to cover the cost. That situation has arisen because Gov. Martin O’Malley regularly “borrowed” from trust funds and replaced the money with debt.

The Baltimore Sun editorialized that potentially breaking up state agencies by renting in downtown Baltimore would be “inefficient.” In the 1960s that might have been the case, but given the fact that technology makes it very easy to stay connected with coworkers, being on a block away shouldn’t cause problems – except for those who chronically schedule useless meetings, which happens regardless of office location.

Given the state of the state’s massive ongoing structural deficits, voting to move forward on State Center would be reckless. Voting no would also prove the outgoing governor a statesman as he campaigns around the country for a potential presidential bid.