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Committee reviews permanent building fund status, transfers and deferred maintenance projects
Summary
Analysts outlined the permanent building fund’s revenue sources, recent transfers to the general fund from canceled projects, and the status of active public works projects and deferred maintenance funding.
Frances Lippitt returned to brief the committee on the Permanent Building Fund, explaining how that fund is used for capital projects and maintenance for state buildings and higher-education facilities.
She said the fund is structured to handle multi-year capital projects and that appropriated project balances become continuously appropriated under Idaho Code §57-1105. Lippitt listed seven statutory revenue sources for the permanent building fund—including a $10 income tax filing fee, portions of sales and cigarette tax, beer tax proceeds, and lottery earnings—and noted that recent general-fund investments totaling about $1.1 billion have increased interest earnings and generated more revenue for the fund.
Lippitt told the committee that JFAC acted to transfer about $33.75 million in canceled capital project balances to the general fund in the current fiscal year and described six canceled projects previously reviewed by staff. She said the total value of active public works authorizations is about $2.15 billion, with approximately 44% expended at the time of the division’s status report. The division of public works reported that deferred maintenance funding from FY2022/FY2023 (about $544 million) remains largely active and in-progress.
Kelly Berard, administrator for the division of public works, said DPW is executing roughly 595 active projects (462 funded by the permanent building fund and 133 agency-funded projects) and flagged workforce challenges in construction trades and retaining professional talent. She said the division continues to work on bringing projects online and on identifying land/buildings for previously canceled projects that might be revived in the future.
Lippitt and DPW staff answered committee questions about specific projects, including an Idaho National Guard readiness center that would support up to 350 personnel with a 25% state match. Committee members were told that descriptions and status updates for individual projects are available in the division’s capital budget status report and on SharePoint.
