Legislators review State Independent Living Council budget, discuss shifting personnel appropriation to general fund

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 heard a budget presentation from Kellen McGurkin of the Legislative Services Office on the State Independent Living Council, including the council's dedicated fund balances and a governor-recommended change to how personnel costs would be funded.

McGurkin, the LSO budget and policy analyst, told the committee that the council, known as SILC, typically spends “nearly all of its available revenue” from federal independent-living grants but maintains an ending balance close to $280,000 — about six and a half months of operating costs — to protect against a funding freeze. He told members the council showed small year-to-year variances, including spending about $3,000 more than revenue in FY2022 and about $13,000 more in FY2023 because federal grant periods do not line up neatly with the state fiscal year.

The governor's recommendation for fiscal year 2026 would shift $11,700 of appropriation from SILC's dedicated fund to the general fund. McGurkin said that change would allow the general fund to cover roughly half of statewide increases such as health benefits and the governor's proposed change-in-employee-compensation (CEC) adjustment that otherwise would fall on the council's dedicated fund.

Mel Levitan, executive director of the Idaho State Independent Living Council, spoke to the committee about the agency's small size and work. Levitan said SILC has four full-time-equivalent positions, including the director, and uses those staff to support the State Independent Living Council and to provide statewide training and advocacy. Levitan thanked the committee for a $10,000 line-item increase that funded outside audits; he said the office completed audits for years 2022, 2023 and 2024 with no findings.

Senator Cook asked for clarification after McGurkin's explanation that the council sometimes appears to have "overspent" its dedicated fund in a year; McGurkin replied, "Overspent isn't a term I would use," and explained that timing differences between federal grant awards and the state fiscal calendar can make one fiscal year look overdrawn even though the agency's multi-year cash flow is stable.

Levitan said SILC routinely travels statewide to meet people who cannot travel to Boise and emphasized the council's role in expanding and improving independent living services for Idahoans with disabilities.

No formal committee action or vote was recorded during the presentation; the hearing proceeded to other agenda items.