Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dopl Budget And Reporting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
JFAC backs $1.27 million DOPL package for inspector pay, fleet and IT; approves reporting language by unanimous consent
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved $1,268,900 in dedicated funds for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses to raise inspector pay, replace fleet vehicles and update IT hardware, and accepted draft reporting language aligning board reporting requirements with policy bill 152 by unanimous consent.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved $1,268,900 from dedicated funds for the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) for fiscal year 2026, covering inspector pay increases, vehicle replacements and IT hardware.
Kellen McGurkin, a budget analyst with Legislative Services, told committee members the division requested three enhancements totaling $1,268,900 from dedicated funds, noting the agency is funded entirely through fees collected from regulated boards and commissions. "The first request for $22,000 in ongoing dedicated funds would increase pay for inspector positions in the Bureau of Building Construction and Real Estate by an average of 95 cents per hour across 92 full-time positions," McGurkin said. He also described one-time requests of $900,500 to replace 23 of 280 vehicles (roughly 19% of the fleet) and $146,400 for IT hardware recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services.
Representative Furness moved the package. The motion specified $222,000 for the ongoing inspector pay increase, $900,500 for vehicle replacements (including specific line-itemed Ford models and quantities), and $146,400 for IT and conference-room equipment and laptop replacements. Senator Quick seconded the motion. The committee voted to advance the package with a recorded final tally of 16 ayes and 4 nays; the chair announced the motion will proceed with a do-pass recommendation.
Separately, the committee considered draft language to align DOPL's appropriation reporting requirements with "policy bill 152." McGurkin said the language would add a quarterly reporting requirement on the expenses and revenues of each of the 45 boards and commissions overseen by DOPL, and raise the upper cap on individual board fund balances triggering a corrective action plan from 25% to 50% per the Legislative Audits Division recommendation. Representative Furness requested unanimous consent to accept the language as shown; with no objections the committee granted consent and the language will go forward with the motion.
The approved package, if enacted, will adjust inspector pay modestly to address turnover cited in recent exit interviews, replace a portion of the division’s vehicle fleet used by inspectors who travel statewide, and update office and laptop hardware per ITS recommendations.
