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Idaho Department of Administration seeks funds as governor's housing stipend nears depletion
Summary
Legislative budget analysts and Department of Administration officials told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the governor's housing fund lacks a steady revenue source and will be exhausted in 2026 unless the Legislature provides new money; analysts also reviewed the department's operating and one-time requests.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard Feb. 17 from Legislative Services budget analyst Frances Lippitt and Department of Administration Director Steve Bailey on the department's fiscal 2026 request, including a plea to shore up the governor's housing fund.
Lippitt, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told the committee the governor's housing committee and the governor's residence fund are established in statute and that the fund currently pays a monthly housing stipend set at $4,551. She said the department requested $30,000 from the general fund for fiscal 2025 but the Legislature did not provide it; she reported a current request for fiscal 2026 but gave two different figures during the presentation, first $60,600 and later $660,600. "Without an appropriation, the fund will be fully depleted by August 2026," Lippitt said.
The committee pressed for clarification on the requested amount and asked Lippitt to provide the governor's housing committee's latest report and the statutory history of the program. Director Bailey said the housing request and support for the governor's housing committee historically have been in the administration budget because the department supported the mansion and related facilities work when the state owned a residence. He said the committee meets roughly annually and that prior discussions had considered revisiting a governor's mansion but had not produced a concrete plan.
Committee members asked whether the stipend would be more appropriately housed in the executive office's budget rather than the Department of Administration. Bailey said he would defer to the Division of Financial Management on budget placement but acknowledged the question as reasonable.
Beyond the housing fund, Lippitt summarized the department's structure and budget drivers. The Department of Administration houses divisions that provide statewide services including public works, purchasing, document services and insurance programs. Lippitt said about 10% of the department's appropriation comes from the general fund and most of the rest from dedicated funds and agency payments for services. She noted the department is authorized 34 full-time equivalent positions and has historically filled about 92% of that authorization.
Lippitt also reviewed several requested and one-time items: a proposed transfer of a capital outlay appropriation to operating for facility condition assessment software, a one-time request that now seeks $8,500 for a trailer after the department repurposed a vehicle instead of buying a truck and trailer, and $79,000 requested for information-technology hardware recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services. The governor recommended the requested enhancements.
Committee members asked follow-up questions about the department's continuously appropriated funds, including the group insurance and retained risk funds, and requested further documentation showing continuous appropriation components and direct investments included in the departmental fund tables.
Lippitt and Director Bailey said they would provide additional detail on continuous appropriations and historical reports. Bailey thanked the committee for its questions and emphasized the department's role in supporting state agencies and managing capital facilities.
The committee did not take any formal action during the presentation; members requested follow-up materials and clarification on the housing fund request.
