ITD again asks to move District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls; lawmakers press cost and need

Idaho Transportation Department Director Scott Stokes asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday to revisit a proposal to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls and requested $9.6 million for the project.

The request drew sharp questions from Sen. Cook and other committee members, who said the same proposal was rejected by JFAC, both houses and the governor last year. Senator Cook cited the 2019 and January 2024 building assessments and said staff told him last year they did not need a new building but only maintenance money.

Why it matters: the department told the committee it believes a Twin Falls location would improve long-term service delivery and public access as the area grows. Opponents on the committee said the fiscal cost and marginal commute-time differences do not justify a nearly $10 million relocation.

Details and debate Director Stokes said the recommendation comes from ITD staff and the Transportation Board and reflected a judgment about where “long term service should be delivered from the District 4 area.” He told the committee the move would place the district closer “to the growing community of Twin Falls.”

Senator Cook said his on-site visits and GIS analysis of employee addresses showed small differences in commute times. The committee heard that for the 71 employees who work at the Shoshone site, the average commute to the current site is 29 minutes and to the proposed Twin Falls site 27 minutes; median one-way commutes were cited as 37 minutes to Shoshone and 25 minutes to the proposed site. Cook said those differences — a median change of 12 minutes, or roughly a two-minute average — did not, in his view, justify a $9.6 million relocation.

Representative Price asked whether maintenance funds directed last year were spent on the Shoshone building; Director Stokes said the department is “in progress” on repairs that primarily replace roofing materials and windows and that the work is in final design and expected to be installed this summer.

Committee history and posture Senator Cook noted that last year the JFAC budget working group, the House, the Senate and the governor voted to reject relocation. Stokes said the department was seeking reconsideration because of long-term access and service considerations and that he respected the legislature’s role in the decision.

What was not decided The transcript records questions and discussion but no committee vote on the relocation request during the hearing. The decision remains with the legislature; the department has submitted the $9.6 million enhancement in its 2026 budget request.

Ending Committee members pressed for more detail and reiterated fiscal safeguards; Director Stokes said the department would continue to answer questions and provide additional detail as requested.