Anne Arundel County government has saved $38 million in contracting costs for construction projects in the past year, officials announced Monday.

The six percent in savings on $615 million in capital projects, through decreases in “change orders,” was achieved through several measures, including revisions to the negotiation process between the county’s Department of Public Works and design consultants.

The county also hired, with the approval of the County Council, two project control specialists, whose job is to scrutinize change order requests. Change orders are a legal means of changing contracts in the construction industry that typically serve to alter the work detailed in the contract document at the time of bidding.

"Every dollar counts in this difficult economy and government must change the way it does business to free up more money for capital projects," County Executive John R. Leopold said in a statement. "In a short period of time the changes we have made have paid dividends."