state politics: idaho

TechConnect Chastised for Dearth of Information in Idaho Commerce Budget

By Sharon Fisher, 3-03-08

Idaho’s TechConnect business catalyst program received half a loaf from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee today amid complaints from legislators that it was not providing enough information on what it did.

“I’m getting to the point where, if we can’t get detailed, reasonable information, I don’t know whether I’ll be able to support it,” said Senator Elliott Werk, D-Boise. “I think you have a lot of company on that one,” agreed co-chair Representative Maxine Bell, R-Jerome.

The motion provides $150,000 to TechConnect instead of the $450,000 requested and the $300,000 allocated in previous years. “We’re hoping the support for TechConnect will be sufficient so they can continue to prosper,” said Representative Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, who seconded the motion and who had made the motion last year to fund TechConnect. TechConnect, which has six full-time equivalent employees, also gets funding from private donations, colleges and universities, and the Idaho National Laboratory, said budget analyst Keith Bybee.

In addition, the motion includes intent language – basically, instructions – that TechConnect needs to meet with JFAC during the interim spring meeting to describe what its activities are for the future, and specifying that the group, which has four offices around the state (including Post Falls), meets quarterly with the Department of Commerce. “In economic development, it’s best to have all the teams work together,” Henderson said.

The budget also included $100,000 for the rural initiative program, down from the $1.425 million agency request and $687,000 recommendation from Governor Butch Otter, and $600,000 for the business and jobs development fund. “We’re disappointed that we can only do $600,000,” Henderson said, saying that the program has been very successful in converting promotional dollars with a good return on investment.

In addition, the budget included $150,000 in small business development grants. The total given to new projects in the department was $1 million in one-time money, drawn from a Department of Labor incumbent loan fund that is scheduled to sunset on June 30.

“Representative Henderson and I intended for a much more aggressive budget for this department,” said Senator James Hammond, R-Post Falls, who made the motion. “It’s very helpful in maintaining economic development for the state of Idaho.”

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