‘Opening opportunities’: New Comptroller of Maryland branch office opens in Rockville
Space replaces aging Wheaton location, officials say
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Danny Chung-A-FungJuly 30, 2026 10:50 a.m. | Updated: July 30, 2026 10:51 a.m.
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A crowd of more than 50 people – including state, county and local government officials — filled the entryway of the building at 800 King Farm Blvd. in Rockville on Wednesday to celebrate the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Comptroller of Maryland’s new Rockville branch office.
“If you took time to be at the opening of a comptroller office, you are a very special guest and a very special person to me,” state comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) told the crowd.
The old comptroller office space, which was in a building behind the Westfield Wheaton mall, had reached the end of its lifespan, according to Maryland Department of General Services Atif Chaudhry.
“After more than a decade at its previous meeting location, it became clear that space became too small and was not efficient in reflecting the level of service that Marylanders deserve,” Chaudhry said at the event. “Today, we open a new regional office that puts our design with the future in mind.”
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Chuadhry said that in 2025 the Wheaton location served more than 14,500 customers, and in the first six months of 2026, they’ve already served more than 7,500 customers. The Wheaton location is now permanently closed, according to a Facebook post from the Comptroller’s office.
While the ceremonial ribbon cutting was Wednesday, the new 3,700-square-foot office was officially open to customers on July 13. The office is available for residents and businesses to connect with the agency for support in filing taxes, accessing unclaimed property, obtaining tax credits, and other issues. This is the fourth new comptroller branch office opened in the state during Lierman’s tenure.
State Sen. Craig Zucker (D-14) spent 16 years in the comptroller’s office before being elected to statewide office, with 12 of those years working in one of the branch offices. He emphasized the importance of customers having a private place to have their tax questions answered.
“When people come into the comptroller’s office, … it’s because they have something deeply personal that they’re dealing with when it comes to resolving taxes,” Zucker said.
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“And what these offices represent is not only the privacy but the community that the comptroller and all of her teammates and the state want to provide to the people coming in.”
Lierman, who lives in Montgomery County and graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, told Bethesda Today why in-person support is still beneficial for Marylanders who have questions about their business or personal tax concerns, despite the increasing options to do things virtually.
“When people are coming to us with tax challenges, they might just want to see somebody in person and talk to them face-to-face about the problems they’re having,” she said.
Accessibility to the new office, which is near the Shady Grove Metro station and I-270, is another advantage of the new location, said County Executive Marc Elrich (D).
“You could have found a place in [Wheaton], but I think finding a place here is really important,” Elrich said at the event. “It makes it easier for everybody to get in here … so you’re in the right place.”
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Rockville Mayor Monique Ashton told Bethesda Today that she hopes to continue working with the comptroller’s office to make sure residents know about the resources they offer.
“We’re going to be spreading the word about setting up appointments and how people can get consultations,” Ashton said. “We want to move from reactive to being very proactive in helping people.”
“Ribbon cuttings aren’t just about opening buildings,” Chaudhry said. “They’re about opening opportunities. This investment ensures that we’re prepared to meet [the needs of the community] for many years to come.”
The Rockville Comptroller of Maryland branch office, located at 800 King Farm Blvd., Suite 105 in Rockville, is open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine