Budget Resource
Center

...providing state budgets, reports, and current news to help the court community make informed budgetary decisions.

Idaho

Actions Underway

• Idaho is primarily locally funded.  The state general fund pays for judges, trial court administrators, court reporters, and travel expenses.  Dedicated funds support statewide district court programs:  drug courts, mental health courts, family court services, court assistance offices, and automation. 
• In FY2009, Idaho’s judicial branch state general fund budget was subject to one-time holdbacks totaling 6%.  These holdbacks have been managed by eliminating significant travel, replacing committee meetings and some training with technological solutions that allowed remote users to participate, consolidation of judicial education programs, and delaying new computer expenditures.
• On the personnel budget, all Idaho judges participated in an extraordinary, voluntary salary holdback (equal to two days of pay) while non judicial employees took two days of unpaid leave over a five-month period.  Hiring judges and senior judges continues as the high priority to avoid any interruption of service, but other vacant positions have remained open absent a showing of extraordinary need.  Part-time, non-benefitted positions were eliminated as of the end of January 2009.
• For FY2010, the Judicial Branch will be operating under a permanent overall base budget reduction of over 3% and includes a 5% personnel budget reduction.  The overall budget reductions are primarily being managed by continuing the FY2009 reduction strategies outlined above, coupled with one-time shifts to dedicated funds with increased dedicated fund spending authority.  The personnel budget reduction is being primarily realized through maintenance of the hiring freeze, excluding judgeships.  In addition, there will be no salary increases in FY2010.  Dedicated funds have been expanded in FY2010 to extend the Guardianship Monitoring Project to all counties and to extend domestic violence courts statewide.
• Reduced operating hours of the Law Library.  

Reports and Articles

• "JFAC Should Think Long and Hard Before Cutting Courts." Twin Falls Times News. January 23, 2009.
• "Eye on Boise: Lots of Furloughs." Spokesman.com. January 14, 2009.

Gavel to Gavel

• Database. Search the Gavel to Gavel legislation database based on state, year, legislation category, or any combination.

State Links

• Court Budget Web Sites
• Strategic Planning
• State Budgets for 2009
• State Budget Offices