Department of Finance requests six examiner hires; governor omits two investigator positions

The Joint Finance Appropriations Committee heard a budget presentation Jan. 21 from the Idaho Department of Finance seeking six full‑time positions and $816,600 from state regulatory funds to add IT‑focused examiners and investigative staff.

Noah Peterson, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the Department of Finance’s enhancement package for fiscal 2026 totals six full‑time positions and $816,600 drawn from the agency’s state regulatory funds. The request would add IT and financial examiners across the Financial Institutions Bureau, the Consumer Finance Bureau and the Securities Bureau, plus one‑time capital outlay recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services.

The request includes two IT‑focused examiner/investigator positions budgeted at $82,500 each, two financial examiners at $121,300 each (salary grade P), a securities cybersecurity examiner at $82,500, and a forensic accounting specialist at $82,500. One‑time capital outlay of $52,600 would cover laptops ($42,000), docking stations ($6,100) and portable field monitors ($4,500). Director Patty Perkins said the governor recommended all of the department’s requested items except the two financial investigator 3 positions for the Consumer Finance Bureau.

Why it matters: the department said the hires respond to rising cybercrime and increasingly complex financial investigations, including fraud that targets older Idahoans. Senator Wintrow told the director she had met with department staff and cited an increase in scams that prey on elderly people. "There is a huge increase in cybercrime," Director Perkins told the committee, and described partnerships with Idaho State Police and other law‑enforcement entities to "follow the money," including cases that involve cryptocurrency and cross‑border fraud.

The Department of Finance’s operations run primarily on the state regulatory funds generated by licensing, assessment, filing fees and civil penalties. Peterson said the agency has 72 full‑time employees and spent roughly 92.5% of its appropriation on average over the last four fiscal years; personnel accounted for about 77.8% of 2024 expenditures.

Committee members asked for more concrete workload and outcome data to justify the new positions. Senator Cook said she would like baseline metrics to measure return on investment if the committee approves the additions. Director Perkins said the department would provide additional information and agreed to follow up with committee staff on case counts, workload and outcomes.

The presentation closed with Perkins saying the agency supports the governor’s recommendations and will provide additional materials to the committee on investigative workload and outcomes.