Idaho Department of Finance requests six IT-focused examiners; governor backs most but denies two investigator posts

The Idaho Department of Finance told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 21 that it is seeking six new full‑time positions, largely to bolster information‑technology and cybersecurity expertise in its examination and investigation teams.

The request, presented by Legislative Services Office analyst Noah Peterson and discussed with Department of Finance Director Patty Perkins, would add six full‑time positions and $816,600 in ongoing state regulatory fund support. The Department characterized the additions as a response to growth in cyber‑enabled fraud and a rising investigative workload, particularly cases targeting older Idahoans.

The request and agency presentation Noah Peterson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, summarized the Department’s enhancement package and the agency’s fund structure, noting three dedicated funds: the state regulatory funds (used for roughly 99% of the department’s appropriations), the mortgage recovery fund and the securities investing/training fund. Peterson said the 2026 enhancement request totals six FTP and $816,600 from state regulatory funds and walked the committee through proposed positions, salaries and a one‑time capital outlay request for field laptops and monitors.

Director Patty Perkins, Department of Finance, described the operational need. “There is a huge increase in cybercrime,” Perkins said, and said the department has been working with Idaho State Police and other law enforcement to "follow the money." Perkins told the committee that some investigations now require specialized knowledge and systems—particularly for crimes involving cryptocurrencies—and that law enforcement partners have provided access to certain tools, but that the department’s investigation staff remains small and needs expansion to keep pace with fraud trends.

Why the request matters The requested positions include specialized roles across the Financial Institutions Bureau, the Consumer Finance Bureau and the Securities Bureau: an IT examiner for financial institutions; a general financial examiner; two financial investigator 3 positions focused on IT examinations (one for mortgage/credit services, another for consumer services); a cybersecurity‑focused examiner for the Securities Bureau; and a forensic accounting examiner for securities investigations. Salaries were shown at 100% of policy for the listed pay grades.

Peterson noted the governor’s recommendation accepted most of the enhancements but excluded one line item: the two financial investigator 3 positions for the Consumer Finance Bureau. “The governor recommended all the items I just described with the exception of line item 3,” Peterson said.

Committee requests for data and follow up Senator Wintrow and Senator Cook pressed the department for measurable workload data before approving new permanent positions. Senator Wintrow said she had met with agency staff and had seen casework involving elder financial abuse; she asked the director to provide more detail on cases and outcomes. Senator Cook requested baseline metrics to allow the legislature to evaluate return on investment and to compare outcomes if positions are approved.

Perkins agreed to provide more detailed information to the committee and described examples of recent fraud affecting older Idahoans and the need for specialized investigative tools and staff. Peterson told members he did not have granular FBI or cyber‑damage numbers immediately but agreed to work with the agency to provide supporting evidence.

Budget context and prior changes The Department of Finance operates a single program with about 72 full‑time positions. Recent budget history shown to JFAC indicates personnel costs account for roughly 78% of total expenditures; operating costs were about 21% in fiscal year 2024. The department added three positions in fiscal year 2024 (a mortgage examiner, a public outreach specialist and a securities technician) and netted a gain of two FTP after internal HR consolidations.

Next steps Perkins said the department supports the governor’s recommended budget and will provide additional documentation on workload and case outcomes to the committee. The committee did not take a formal vote during the session on the enhancement package.

Ending Director Perkins closed by thanking the committee and noting the agency’s ongoing focus on investor protection and fraud investigations. “We are excited about this next year and excited about the things that we can do to protect Idahoans,” she said.