Lawmakers consider supplemental and reappropriation changes as ITD faces $600M in contracted work

Idaho lawmakers heard that the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) needs immediate spending authority to complete contractor payments on large, multi‑year highway projects already under contract.

At the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee hearing, Brooke Dupree, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented ITD’s contract construction budget and described funding sources including strategic initiatives transfers, GARVEE bonds and federal highway funds. Dupree told the committee ITD estimates a $60 million supplemental for the current fiscal year — $10 million from the State Highway Local Fund and $50 million from the State Highway Federal Fund — to cover obligations that exceed current appropriation.

The need stems from a long pipeline of multi‑year construction contracts, officials said. Director Scott Stokes, director of the Idaho Transportation Department, warned that the department has experienced tight spending authority windows on large projects: “we came dangerously close to this last fiscal year in FY '24 of running out of spending authority,” he said.

Dave Tolman, ITD chief administrative officer, told the committee, “As of the end of FY 24, our obligated…