House Transportation resumes maintenance budget review; maintenance director outlines staffing and operational cuts

The House Transportation Committee resumed its review of the maintenance budget on Feb. 17, hearing from Ricky Patino, director of maintenance, and other agency officials about proposed reductions and operational changes for FY27.

Patino said the agency is planning a package of reductions that includes staff impacts and lower stockpiles of materials. "We plan to reduce the size of our stockpiles to the tune of 600,000," he told the committee, listing culverts, guardrail and aggregates as the primary items affected. He said the state maintenance program spends roughly $100,000,000 overall and that, after fixed costs, about $24 million remains to fund roughly 130 maintenance codes.

Committee members pressed Patino and the agency about proposed reductions in force. The transcript records multiple related figures: a committee member referenced "31 reduction in force positions"; Patino and an agency deputy described a breakdown in which 31 RIFs were discussed systemwide, with about 24 positions in one description, four positions temporarily lent to other divisions and an estimate that about 20 current maintenance employees would be affected. Witnesses said several positions were vacant and that managers had not issued formal individual notices, limiting the agency's ability to discuss personnel specifics publicly.

Members also questioned several line items, including mowing ($1,500,000) and tree cutting ($2,400,000), and explored whether program tweaks — for example, pollinator plantings or different litter enforcement — could reduce long-term mowing costs. Patino said trials have had mixed results and warned that some cost savings could be offset by environmental or seasonal constraints.

On overtime, committee testimony attributed about $3,500,000 in actual overtime costs over the past two years; a proposed $500,000 reduction would leave a $3,000,000 overtime budget for FY27. Patino said roughly 90% of overtime occurs in the winter and that limiting summer overtime to emergencies was one option to reduce costs.

Patino emphasized weather-driven unpredictability and the potential for a heavy spring patching season to force trade-offs: "This winter has been a great year to own a snowmobile... This is why it's hard for me to tell you a year in advance where every dollar is going," he said. Members asked for clearer, season-mapped documentation of maintenance codes and responsibilities; Patino agreed to produce a seasonal mapping of the agency's 130 maintenance codes to help the committee assess functional impacts.

The committee did not take formal votes on budget items during this session; members thanked the agency for returning and signaled follow-up requests for clarifying documents and vacancy breakdowns.

Provenance: Maintenance budget discussion resumed at SEG 462; Ricky Patino introduced at SEG 508; RIF numbers and vacancy discussions appear SEG 559–SEG 583 and SEG 564–SEG 577; stockpile savings discussion appears SEG 719–SEG 731; overtime and actuals at SEG 1226–SEG 1232; request for seasonal mapping at SEG 1318–SEG 1346.

Ending: The committee paused the maintenance discussion pending follow-up documents, including a seasonal mapping of maintenance codes and further clarification on vacancy and RIF impacts.