IDAHO NATIONAL
Idaho
Transportation |
Board
chairman discusses potential plan Idaho has reached many important crossroads in growth, transportation and economic recovery. Over the past few months I have reported to you about efforts to address employee compensation. Your concerns are being heard and many people are working hard to arrive at a solution. Representing the Transportation Board, the Executive Team and each of you, Chairman Charles L. Winder presented those concerns to the state employee compensation interim legislative committee Aug. 29. He outlined the need for compensation change – in funding and administration – and presented a potential plan as a positive approach for addressing compensation. His approach was honest and straight forward, affirming that we recognize the challenge and understand the plight of our employees.
Over the next five years we will manage a 30-percent increase in federal funds, a two-fold increase in public transportation funding and a $1.2 billion investment in the transportation system through Connecting Idaho. Chairman Winder presented a positive plan to allow the ITD Board and Executive Team the flexibility to manage our resources and to make decisions about employee compensation that aren’t limited by Idaho code. Specifically, he suggested ITD needs:
We believe those measures will enable us to implement employee compensation change that is sorely needed and long overdue. The ITD Board and the Executive Team, along with the legislature and governor, continue to pursue increased compensation for state employees and the increased flexibility for departments to manage their workforce. We will continue to update you as we approach the 2006
legislative session. |