Gov. Butch Otter is taking some issue with the sentence in my Sunday parks story that says that in 2010, he “proposed shutting down the parks department and eliminating funding.” Otter said in an interview that his move was designed to send a message – he wanted business plans from all state agencies, and parks was one of four that didn’t immediately produce one. However, Otter’s formal executive budget proposal submitted to the Legislature in 2010 for fiscal year 2011 called specifically for cutting general funds for the state Department of Parks & Recreation to zero, and “devolving” the department, handing over its functions to the departments of Lands and Fish & Game.

Here’s how the proposal read in that year’s legislative budget book: “Devolve IDPR. The Governor recommends transferring the Department of Parks and Recreation’s property and operation management functions to the Department of Lands and transferring the license and registration function to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.”

Here’s a link to Otter’s executive budget document from that year; it reflects the “agency consolidation” and the reduction of the budget for the Department of Parks & Recreation to zero. That didn’t happen, for a variety of reasons, some of which were explored in my story. That year, Otter also proposed selling the state Department of Parks & Recreation headquarters and surrounding property, anticipating making $5 million; here’s a link to that proposal in his executive budget, listed directly under the “ending balance” line in the middle of the first page. That, too, didn’t happen.

Otter told me, “I guess the value that came out of this is people had to make assessments on the value they were getting. The people said, ‘This is nice, but it’s a necessary part of the local economy.’” He added, “Parks is emblematic – a good example of what we learn about ourselves, how much value do we put on what function of government. We learned that lesson out of necessity.”

That same year, Otter recommended a four-year phase-out of state funding for the Idaho Human Rights Commission, proposing nearly a 25 percent cut in the commission’s funding in FY 2011. The commission ended up moving to the state Department of Labor, where its budget was transferred, taking a 7 percent cut in the process. He also proposed four-year phase-outs of state funding for five other agencies: Idaho Public TV, the State Independent Living Council, the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, and the Hispanic Commission. None were approved, though all the agencies took smaller cuts; the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission was transferred from the Department of Health & Welfare to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Otter said, “It was to encourage them to say, ‘You know, the governor is serious about this. He wants to know what we’re going to do to continue to exist with less state funds.”

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