DOPL tells JFAC high turnover, excess board cash balances persist; seeks inspector pay increases and vehicle replacements

BOISE — Officials from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 that the agency continues to grapple with high inspector turnover and excess cash balances among boards and commissions, and asked for targeted pay and equipment funding.

DOPL Administrator Russ Baron and Legislative Services analyst Kellen McGurkin presented background showing DOPL was created by House Bill 318 (2020) and now oversees about 45 boards and roughly 200,000–300,000 licensees, with the agency tracking approximately 267.2 FTP in its FY 2025 cap. McGurkin told the committee that DOPL’s receipts and transfers included roughly $50 million in transfers from prior board cash balances and about $30 million in new licensing revenues during the period shown in the packet.

Audit and cash-balance findings: April Renfro of Legislative Audit summarized DOPL’s open audit findings (November 2024) and said the primary open issue is excessive cash balances for several boards. The audit and agency…