Brown, who chairs a sub-cabinet created to prepare for the influx of jobs, is scheduled to have a busy week discussing the impact of the base realignment, leading up to a final report that will be submitted to the governor next week on BRAC preparation. The report will provide a blueprint for BRAC-related goals in the state.

On Tuesday, Brown is traveling to St. Louis, where he will co-chair a meeting with the National Governor's Association related to BRAC growth. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

On Monday, he outlined three proposals Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration is advocating to the General Assembly to get the state ready for an estimated 28,000 new households, taking some questions from lawmakers about the proposals, which were released last month.

The first proposal includes funding to bolster higher education initiatives related to BRAC growth by setting aside some of the $55 million that has been approved by the General Assembly for higher education. Brown said it's unclear exactly how much money will be proposed, but he said it could be in the area of $10 million over three years.

The second proposal relates to creating a vehicle to encourage residential development in communities affected by the base realignment. The so-called "BRAC Zones" also would be used as an economic development tool to encourage businesses to move into areas where growth is expected.

The third idea Brown discussed is a proposal that involves giving state and local governments flexibility in negotiating with private developers to receive lump payments instead of steady streams of property tax revenue.

The military has been offering leases to private developers who build amenities on bases, developments that are subject to state and county property taxes. Brown said the idea is to make it easier to generate money for roads, water and sewage treatment plants.

The base realignment is expected to bring between 15,000 and 16,000 direct jobs to Maryland by 2015, with many of them around the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County and Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County. Tens of thousands of indirect jobs also are expected.