The Idaho Transportation Department isn’t requesting any increase in state funds in next year’s budget. Though the governor’s total budget recommendation for ITD reflects a 30.8 percent increase over this year’s original appropriation, the difference is largely the funding increases that lawmakers approved last year through gas tax and fee increases, along with a 5 percent increase in federal funds and some carry-over funds for projects still in process. That’s even though Idaho has only cut its annual road and bridge maintenance backlog by a third, from $262 million to $165.3 million. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

“We are not asking for any additional increase in state funding this year, correct,” ITD Director Brian Ness told reporters after his budget pitch to lawmakers. “We will continue to talk about what the need is, and we’ll let the Legislature decide how that stacks up with all the other needs that they have.”

Plus, he said, the two-year surplus-eliminator bill, which is funneling an additional $54 million into road work this year, will expire in another year. “That’s a good time to have that discussion,” Ness said.

“I think we need to see how well we do spending the money we have,” he said. “Better to have all these discussions at once, and see where it goes.”