State Independent Living Council seeks small fund shift as dedicated revenues fluctuate

The State Independent Living Council told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 that its work to promote independent living for Idahoans with disabilities is funded primarily by federal grants and a dedicated state fund, and the governor recommends a small appropriation shift to smooth personnel costs.

Kellen McGurkin, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee SILC has four full‑time positions, including Executive Director Mel Levitan, and that the agency typically spends nearly all available dedicated‑fund revenue each year but maintains an ending balance of roughly $280,000—about six and a half months of expenses—to buffer timing differences in federal grant payments.

The nut of the discussion was a governor’s recommendation to shift $11,700 of appropriation from SILC’s dedicated fund to the general fund. McGurkin said the shift would reduce the dedicated fund appropriation and increase the general fund appropriation so the general fund would cover roughly half of the statewide health benefit and change‑in‑employee‑compensation (CEC) salary increases in the maintenance budget that otherwise would be paid from SILC’s dedicated fund.

McGurkin described SILC’s federal receipts as coming through grants that pass from the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and noted that an increase of about $30,000 in one line of federal funding in FY2023 was the first such increase in about a decade. He cautioned that year‑to‑year swings in the fund statements often reflect mismatches between federal grant periods and the state fiscal year rather than a structural overspend.

Executive Director Mel Levitan thanked the committee and described the council’s statewide travel and training work; he noted the council used a $10,000 line item last year to pay for external audits that yielded no findings for 2022–24. Levitan said staff have been stable with no turnover since the last hire in 2020.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the governor’s recommendation during the hearing. McGurkin and Levitan answered committee questions about the fund balance, grant timing, and personnel spending patterns.

Looking ahead, McGurkin said SILC’s expected revenue sources are steady but noted the dedicated fund appropriation practice affects how personnel costs appear in the budget documents. The committee will consider maintenance‑level decisions in later budget votes.

Sources and context: McGurkin’s presentation cited SILC’s statutory establishment in Title 56, Chapter 12 of the Idaho Code and the agency’s consolidated fund analysis, and Levitan described operational impacts and recent audit work.