Joint finance reviews Department of Administration budget; analysts flag governor housing fund shortfall and need for risk-property staff

Legislative budget staff and Department of Administration leaders briefed the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on the department's FY2026 budget request, highlighting a request to restore the governor's housing fund, several personnel requests to handle increased workload in insurance and property valuation, and continuing capital and maintenance work at the Chinden Campus.

The Department of Administration’s budget presentation described the agency as providing central services to state government, including public works, purchasing, group insurance and risk management, document services and centralized fiscal support. Frances Lippett, budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told the committee the department’s appropriation is “drawn largely from dedicated funds sourced by payments from agencies for its services,” and that roughly 10 percent of the department’s appropriation comes from the general fund.

Why it matters: the department manages widely used services (insurance, building maintenance, procurement) and several of its funds use continuous appropriation; shortfalls or staffing gaps can affect payments, property insurance and building maintenance across state government.

On the governor’s housing fund, Lippett said the fund provides a monthly housing stipend “currently set at $4,551” and that the fund “has no consistent source of revenue.” She told the committee the legislature did not fund a prior,…