Governor’s office seeks to replenish emergency fund, requests America 250 planning money and constituent-services platform funding

The Executive Office of the Governor told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 it seeks a $1,350,000 one-time transfer from the general fund to the governor’s emergency fund to restore the fund’s cash balance to its base appropriation of $2,000,000, and requested a separate $250,000 one-time general-fund appropriation to support Idaho’s participation in America 250 events.

Christopher LaHozet, budget and policy analyst, said the governor’s emergency fund currently has a cash balance of about $650,000 after prior expenditures, including reimbursements tied to the University of Idaho Moscow murder investigations and the Esto Perpetua ("fight fentanyl") initiative. LaHozet explained the transfer is intended to restore cash to match the currently-authorized $2,000,000 appropriation so the governor may expend funds under the emergency statute when needed.

The governor’s office also requested $45,000 one-time for ITS (information-technology services) replacement items and asked for $250,000 one-time to implement objectives of the White House task force around America’s 250th anniversary. LaHozet said the America 250 request stems from a presidential executive order cited in the presentation; the governor’s office told analysts it will coordinate with the state’s America250 advisory council and federal Task Force objectives.

Constituent-service platform and Salesforce: Analysts and the Division of Financial Management (DFM) told the committee a constituent services platform had been authorized previously by the legislature and that Salesforce was one of the products considered. DFM Administrator Lori Wolf said the governor’s office had been examining multiple vendors but determined a Salesforce implementation proved cost-prohibitive; work to define requirements and find a more cost-effective option is underway. LaHozet said the FY25 legislative language in the budget book referenced a one-time implementation cost and ongoing subscription fee; he reported the office had not spent the new allocation at the time of the hearing.

Interagency personnel reimbursements and accounting questions: Committee members pressed analysts and DFM for transaction-level detail about personnel reimbursements and transfers from other agencies to the governor’s office. Representative Tanner and others asked whether certain transfers — including some that occurred in August and a June transfer that helped balance the governor’s FY2024 budget — were routine reimbursements for staff performing work on behalf of other agencies or were effectively salary supplements.

Lori Wolf, administrator of DFM, said the practice of reimbursing the governor’s office for staff work done on behalf of other agencies has a long precedent (the fiscal-policy advisory committee process known as the "10P" process) and was replicated in Idaho’s new LUMA accounting system. She said the practice is not unique to the governor’s office and that DFM would provide the committee with greater detail. Committee members asked for spreadsheets and itemized reports showing how prior emergency-fund expenditures and intra-agency transfers were spent; analysts said they would provide those records.

Transparency and follow-up requests: Senators and representatives asked for itemized expenditure histories for charter flights and in-state travel, details on ITS hardware requested for $45,000 and an itemized breakdown of how previous emergency-fund monies were spent. LaHozet and DFM pledged to share spreadsheets and the controller’s reports that document expenditures and transfers.

Why it matters: Restoring the emergency fund’s cash balance affects the governor’s ability to deploy funds quickly under Idaho statute when unanticipated events arise. The America 250 request and constituent-management platform seek one-time funds to support public engagement and administration but prompted questions about ongoing subscription costs and whether a lower-cost solution can be found.