Lawmakers Question $9.6M Request to Move ITD District 4 from Shoshone to Twin Falls

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Wednesday questioned the Idaho Transportation Department’s $9.6 million request to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls, with members citing prior rejections and local conditions as reasons to deny the move.

Senator Cindy Cook said the relocation request mirrored last year’s proposal and noted that “we don’t need a new building. We just need some maintenance money,” recounting a recent site visit to the Shoshone campus that identified water stains and routine maintenance needs rather than replacement-level failures. She cited a committee and legislative decision last year that rejected moving the district and asked Director Scott Stokes to explain why the agency was asking again.

The department’s director, Scott Stokes, director of the Idaho Transportation Department, told the committee the recommendation to relocate came from staff and the Transportation Board and reflects where the department believes long-term services should be delivered: “We would like to be closer to the growing community of Twin Falls.” Stokes said proximity would improve public access to services and reduce inefficiencies when crews respond to projects in the area.

Cook pointed to the department’s own commute-time estimates for the 71 employees at the Shoshone location, noting a 2‑minute average difference and a 12‑minute median difference in one‑way commute times favoring the proposed Twin Falls site (median commute of 37 minutes to Shoshone vs. 25 minutes to the proposed location). Cook questioned whether that commute difference justified the $9.6 million cost and said last year’s review — by the JFAC working group, the full committee and the governor — had concluded against relocation.

Stokes acknowledged the committee’s role in the decision, saying the recommendation was his department’s view of long‑term service delivery and that the question of whether to spend taxpayer dollars on relocation “is a decision that you will make.” Representative Chris H. Price asked whether at least $1 million committed to Shoshone repairs had been spent; Stokes said roofing and window replacements were in final design and expected to be installed this summer.

Committee members also questioned the department’s rationale that equipment parking or employee scheduling required a new site; Stokes said some vehicles and snow trucks are already staged at the proposed location. Multiple members urged more public outreach and clearer justification before the legislature reconsidered relocation.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the request during the hearing.

Why it matters: Moving a district headquarters affects operating costs, employee commutes and where the public accesses transportation services. The committee emphasized that prior review and local conditions weigh against a repeat approval absent new facts or community input.

Remaining context: The department said it prefers to serve Twin Falls as the area grows; committee members pressed the agency to justify significant capital spending where maintenance was cited by staff and where median commute gains were small.