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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

As JFAC finishes budget hearings, Otter updates his budget; proposed ending balance falls to $50M

As the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee wrapped up agency budget hearings this morning, Gov. Butch Otter’s budget director, Jani Revier, presented a report on changes to the governor’s budget recommendation that have occurred since his budget first was presented to lawmakers at the start of the session. The net result is that the estimated unspent ending balance for fiscal year 2018 in the governor’s budget falls from about $67 million to about $50 million.

The biggest change: With school enrollment estimates for next year up by 99 additional support units – roughly 99 classrooms full of kids – Otter is increasing his public school budget recommendation by $8.5 million. “The governor recommends covering these increased costs out of the unobligated balance on the bottom line, rather than reducing other recommended items,” Revier told JFAC.

Other updates: Otter is recommending transferring $2 million to the Disaster Emergency Account, “due to heavy snow and flooding.” JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said, “It’s weighing heavily on all of our minds, I think, the devastation we’ve seen.”

Other updates include changes related to legislation that is or isn’t passing this session, including pay for Health & Welfare physicians and retirement contributions for dispatchers; updated prison population forecasts that anticipate another $4.1 million in state expenses next year; and several smaller adjustments.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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