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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


ITD to give first Legislative presentation Tuesday;
JFAC meeting scheduled for Feb. 6

ITD Director Pam Lowe will join division administrators in making two formal presentations at the Idaho Legislature – the first Tuesday (Jan. 30) to members of the Senate and House transportation committees. The presentation is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Next week’s presentation will focus on programs and projects, with an overview of the 2008 revenue request and a report on the GARVEE-supported Connecting Idaho program.

After a brief introduction from ITD’s new director, each of the six division administrators will give presentations on five common topics:

  • Core responsibilities
  • Scope of programs
  • Review of 2006 highlights
  • Program outputs, and
  • Partnering initiatives

In addition, divisions that have forwarded legislative proposals will briefly discuss the bills and address any associated budget enhancements.

ITD will elaborate on the revenue package and Connecting Idaho program when representatives appear before the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) on Feb. 8. The presentation will begin with an overview by Eric Milstead, an analyst for the Legislative Services Office.

He is scheduled to speak from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., followed by the formal ITD presentation from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Discussions with JFAC will be available live over the Internet through the Idaho Public Television Web site.

Lowe will explain ITD from several perspectives:

  1. Budget
  2. Legislative proposals
  3. The effects of inflation on ITD’s budget
  4. A deteriorating transportation infrastructure that results from increased age and demand on the system
  5. Revenue that is not keeping pace with facility and maintenance needs
  6. Impact of Idaho’s growth (third-fastest in the nation), and
  7. Failure of growth to generate sufficient resources to compensate for new demands

To offset rising costs and growing demand on the system, the Idaho Transportation Board forwarded a revenue proposal to the Legislature that would generate an estimated $203.1 million annually.

The package includes a highway preservation fuel tax, elimination of the ethanol exemption, increased vehicle registration fees, a new rental car fee, increased permit fees, increased fees for ITD services and new impact fees based on growth and development.

The GARVEE presentation will include an update on the 2006-07-bond program and ITD’s request for FY 2008. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced his support of ITD’s $264.2 million Connecting Idaho request for FY08 during his State of the State address.

Published 1-26-07