Committee reviews Department of Administration budget; governor’s housing fund faces depletion

Frances Lippitt, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the Department of Administration’s appropriation covers five budgeted programs and is drawn largely from dedicated funds paid by other agencies, with roughly 10% from the general fund.

Lippitt said the department provides services including facility design and construction, statewide procurement for purchases over $10,000, employee benefits administration, and property and casualty insurance for state entities. She said two-thirds of the department’s appropriation is funded by the Administration and Accounting Services Fund and that the division of public works accounts for roughly three-quarters of department expenditures.

The committee spent extended time on the governor’s housing fund. Lippitt said the governor’s housing committee and the fund are established in Section 67-455, Idaho Code,…