SDAT director outlines modernization push: cloud filings, AI deed pilot and new CRM

Bob Yeager, director of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, told the Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 22 that his top priorities are modernizing the agency’s technology, improving customer service and strengthening partnerships with local governments and community organizations.

"My goal is simple, to share my priorities as director and to outline how we're positioning SDAT to be a more modern, responsive, and fiscally responsible agency in a tight budget environment," Yeager said in his opening remarks. He framed SDAT’s core responsibilities as business registration, fair property assessment, and administering tax credits that support housing affordability and local revenue.

Yeager described several active modernization projects. SDAT recently completed phase one of a procurement to move the business-filing system from the Annapolis data center to a cloud-based platform and expects a two-year transition. He said the agency piloted an AI-assisted deed-processing system in one county that “nearly eliminated backlogs and errors,” reducing manual entry error rates dramatically after tuning the vendor system. Yeager said SDAT has no fiscal-2026 budget to scale the pilot statewide but is pursuing expansion in fiscal 2027.

To address customer-service bottlenecks, Yeager said SDAT will deploy a new customer-relationship-management platform "later this month" to provide automated status updates and reduce routine calls; he described expected peak hold times of up to 30–45 minutes during high-volume periods and emphasized automated tools and clearer web guidance as ways to lower repeat contacts.

Yeager also highlighted a new online donation portal for the Homeowner Protection Program fund, expanded community outreach to better connect eligible residents with underused tax credits, and cross-training to reduce processing times. He said SDAT is strengthening interagency work with county finance offices, the comptroller, DHCD and other state partners to flag implementation issues early.

Yeager closed by inviting the committee’s assistance on legislative and administrative changes to simplify tax-credit enrollment and reduce rejections. The committee will continue oversight as SDAT moves from pilots to larger deployments and reviews procurement outcomes in the coming months.