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ITD seeks pay adjustments and new frontline hires to stem turnover and fill maintenance crews
Summary
ITD told JFAC it added 53 frontline maintenance positions last budget cycle and seeks targeted CEC increases to raise pay steps across maintenance career paths, citing high early‑career turnover and training needs such as CDL acquisition.
The Idaho Transportation Department told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee it has added frontline positions to restore maintenance capacity and is seeking targeted pay adjustments to retain workers who require extended training such as commercial driver’s licenses.
Key points in brief ITD said it added 53 district, front‑line positions (mostly transportation technicians and engineering assistants) in the prior budget cycle. The department reported that roughly half of those slots have been recruited and that the department is still operating with about 60–70 vacancies across the agency.
Why pay and training matter Director Scott Stokes described sustained turnover in entry maintenance ranks and the time needed to qualify new hires: “we're losing, the last 3 years, our average departure rate, just in maintenance employees, has been an average of 78 per year out of about 400,” he told the committee. Stokes said many new hires require a CDL and other qualifications that take six to twelve months to complete, increasing training time and recruitment expense.
What ITD requested The division request included a targeted cost‑of‑compensation (CEC) request to raise the horizontal career‑path pay steps for about 505 maintenance‑related positions, effectively increasing the pay curve by $2.50 per hour across multiple steps rather than only bumping entry pay. ITD said this approach avoids pay compression between steps.
Committee questions and context Representatives and senators pressed ITD to explain market comparisons, retention expectations and whether higher state pay would be matched by higher private or local government rates. ITD said local cities and counties often offer $20–$25 per hour entry rates and that retention improves after employees remain with the department for several years because of retirement and other benefits.
Recruitment status ITD reported progress recruiting the 53 positions added last year and described a broader hiring effort; the department said it remains focused on lowering vacancy counts and improving institutional knowledge.
Ending Lawmakers asked for more detail on pay surveys and how requested targeted increases would interact with any broader CEC adjustments. No final appropriation was recorded in the hearing transcript.
