Committee questions ITD proposal to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls

ITD Director Scott Stokes told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the department is again seeking funding to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls, a proposal lawmakers rejected last year. “We would like to be closer to the growing community of Twin Falls,” Stokes said during the Oct. 24 committee hearing.

The request—and repeated questions from several committee members—focused on cost, service access and commute times. Senator Kevin Cook, who said the committee previously rejected the proposal, noted the relocation is estimated at $9.6 million and asked whether the department had new information that would change last year’s decision. “Do you feel 12 minutes of commute time is worth asking Idaho taxpayers for $9,600,000 to relocate that building?” Cook asked.

Stokes replied that the department and the Transportation Board recommended reconsidering where long-term services should be delivered in District 4 and argued proximity to population centers and project sites would improve efficiency. He also described operational reasons staff cited for the move, including reduced inefficiencies when employees live and work closer to project locations.

Committee members pressed specifics about the Shoshone facility rather than only community-access arguments. Representative Cook described prior facility assessments and his on-site review, saying staff told him “we don't need a new building. We just need some maintenance money.” Director Stokes said work is under way on urgent maintenance for the Shoshone site—roofing and window replacements—and that those repairs are in final design and expected to be installed this summer.

Lawmakers also questioned travel-time data presented to the committee: the committee’s analysis showed a median commute of 37 minutes to Shoshone versus 25 minutes to the proposed Twin Falls site (a 12-minute median difference), while the average one-way commute difference for many employees would be two minutes. Cook used those figures to underline his view that the department had not shown that relocation’s taxpayer value.

No formal committee vote or decision on the relocation appeared in the hearing record. Director Stokes said the department would leave the decision to the Legislature and the committee, adding that ITD had provided its recommendation for long-term service delivery.

The hearing also included budget staff and analysts’ descriptions of approved and requested amounts for District 4 site work and broader capital and maintenance requests; committee members asked ITD to provide additional details on the proposal’s rationale and cost breakdown if the committee reconsiders the request.

Next steps: the committee did not record a formal action on the relocation during the session. Lawmakers said they would continue to evaluate the proposal and the department's maintenance work at Shoshone before deciding on any capital funding for a new District 4 headquarters.