Annapolis (Map, News) - Former Del. Peter Franchot will be sworn in as Maryland comptroller at 11 a.m. today in the House of Delegates chamber by Gov. Martin O’Malley, the last of the new statewide officials to take the oath.

Del. Curt Anderson of Baltimore will serve as master of ceremonies. House Speaker Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, and Senate President Thomas Mike Miller, D-Calvert-Prince George’s, will also speak at the event, as will the governor.

Franchot, 59, succeeds two icons of Maryland politics, former Gov. William Donald Schaefer who spent the last day of his two terms in the office on Friday, and Comptroller Louis Goldstein, who held the job for 39 years until his death. Franchot defeated Schaefer in last September’s Democratic primary.

Franchot, who represented Takoma Park and Silver Spring in the House, also completes the new rise to power of Montgomery County politicians in state government. He is only the third Montgomery County resident ever elected to statewide office, and new Attorney General Doug Gansler was just the second.

The comptroller’s chief duty is to collect taxes and estimate revenues, but his most visible role is as one of three members of the Board of Public Works, which approves all major state contracts and has other regulatory duties. The other members of the board are the governor and the state treasurer. Current State Treasurer Nancy Kopp is a former Bethesda delegate and must be reelected to the post by the General Assembly in two weeks.

Gov. O’Malley was born and raised in Rockville before moving to Baltimore, meaning all three members of the powerful board have Montgomery County connections.

Franchot spokesman David Weaver, who played a similar role for Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, said Franchot will “share his vision for the office” and “what he plans to do.”

“He’s made clear that he’s going to be an independent voice on the Board of Public Works,” Weaver said, and that he will be “an independent fiscal watchdog.”

Weaver said Franchot will also talk about the looming structural deficit, meaning expenses will exceed revenues in coming years, and “how he’s going to address that.”

llazarick@baltimoreexaminer.com