Governor's office seeks cash transfer to replenish emergency fund, asks $250,000 for national 'America 250' activities

At a Feb. 18 Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee hearing, the Executive Office of the Governor presented several budget items including a proposed cash transfer to replenish the Governor’s Emergency Fund, an allocation linked to a White House initiative, and a constituent‑services platform effort that remains under procurement consideration.

Christopher LaHozet, a Legislative Services Office budget analyst, told the committee the Governor’s Emergency Fund has a base appropriation of $2,000,000 but the cash balance has fallen to roughly $650,000. He said the executive requested a $1,350,000 time cash transfer from the general fund to restore the fund balance to the appropriated base.

LaHozet summarized other requests: $45,000 one‑time from the general fund for IT replacement items (network switches, wireless access points, laptops and docking stations) and $250,000 one‑time from the general fund to “implement the objectives of the White House Task Force on celebrating America’s 200 and fiftieth birthday,” referenced in testimony as “Task Force 2250” and linked to a presidential executive order cited during the hearing.

Constituent‑services platform and expenditures

The analyst and Division of Financial Management (DFM) discussion clarified earlier budget history: the governor’s office received one‑time funding in FY25 to procure a constituent‑services platform; Salesforce was considered but described as cost‑prohibitive. LaHozet said the initial implementation estimate included a one‑time implementation cost (referenced in testimony as about $215,000) and ongoing subscription fees for a hosted product. DFM’s director, Lori Wolf, said the governor’s office had not yet spent the FY25 appropriation and that staff were still refining requirements and exploring more cost‑effective options, including leveraging existing state technology, before committing to a vendor.

Emergency fund, CARES monies and reporting requests

LaHozet and committee members discussed the Governor’s Emergency Fund’s past uses, including CARES Act and other federal distributions and several one‑time expenditures the analyst said reimbursed Idaho State Police for investigative costs and supported the Esto Perpetua program (also referenced as “fight fentanyl”). The analyst said the governor’s office spent $1.4 million in fiscal 2023–2024 tied to those matters.

Senators asked for transaction detail. Senator Zatterfeld requested an Excel breakdown of how the $1,350,000 had been spent in prior fiscal years and LaHozet and DFM agreed to provide spreadsheets and the required reports that track those expenditures.

Procurement, charter flights and personnel reimbursements

Multiple committee members asked for additional documentation: itemized ITS replacement hardware pricing tied to a $45,000 request; details on in‑state charter flights and travel; and explanations of interagency personnel reimbursements and transfers. DFM’s director said personnel cost‑sharing and the “10P” reimbursement process are longstanding practices used across state government to allocate staff time when personnel perform work for multiple agencies; she said those transactions have been replicated in the new LUMA accounting system and that staff would produce requested records.

Why it matters

Restoring the governor’s emergency fund would reestablish available cash at the fund’s statutorily authorized appropriation level, giving the governor office cash authority to respond to emergent needs within the limits described in Idaho code. Committee members signaled interest in documentation before acting on the cash transfer and on discretionary one‑time requests tied to national initiatives and technology investments.

What the committee asked for

Committee members requested: an itemized ledger of past emergency fund and CARES‑related expenditures; detailed invoices or estimates for the ITS replacement items; itemized travel and charter flight expenditures; and documentation of interagency personnel reimbursements and the work performed that generated the transfers. LaHozet and DFM agreed to provide those materials to the committee.