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Lawmakers question $9.6M request to move ITD District 4 from Shoshone to Twin Falls
Summary
Committee members pressed ITD Director Scott Stokes about a $9.6 million request to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls; lawmakers noted the relocation was rejected last year and asked whether the benefit justifies the cost.
A proposal to relocate the Idaho Transportation Department’s District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls drew sharp questioning from Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee members, who noted the Legislature and governor rejected the relocation last year.
Sen. Cherie Cook, who led questioning during the hearing, said lawmakers previously reviewed a 2019 assessment and a January 2024 reassessment of the Shoshone facility and rejected the move. She recounted staff visits and said employees told her the building “didn’t need a new building — we just need some maintenance money.” Cook challenged the department on commute times and costs, asking Director Scott Stokes: “Do you feel 12 minutes of commute time is worth asking Idaho taxpayers for $9,600,000 to relocate that building?”
Stokes told the committee the Transportation Board and department staff recommended reconsideration because they want to “be closer to the growing community of Twin Falls” and to improve public access and service delivery from the region. He said the department believes long‑term service would be better delivered from the proposed site.
Representative Price asked whether a previously directed minimum of $1 million for Shoshone repairs had been spent. Director Stokes said the department is “in progress with that repair,” and described work focused on replacing roofing materials and windows; he said the department was in final design and bid preparation and expected installation in the summer.
Sen. Cook also cited commute‑time data the committee had reviewed: averages of roughly 29 minutes to Shoshone versus 27 minutes to the proposed site on the mean, and median travel times of about 37 minutes to Shoshone and 25 minutes to the proposed location. Cook said the data suggested only modest staff commute savings and urged caution given the previous year’s decision.
The relocation remains a department enhancement request for the 2026 budget; the committee did not take a vote on the proposal during the hearing.
