Committee hears department defend FTE requests and tout success of revenue‑recovery unit

Lawmakers questioned why the Department of Revenue requests additional FTEs in FY26 (10.6) and FY27 (11). Secretary Mark Burkhart said many of the new positions are directed to the department's revenue‑recovery unit in the Division of Taxation and that the unit has been successful in collecting delinquent debt.

"Each of those employees averages collecting over $2,000,000 in delinquent debt for the state general fund," Burkhart said, describing the unit's productivity and the rationale for adding staff. Committee members pressed for current filled‑position counts and asked staff to verify field FTE numbers.

Senators also asked about administrative workload tied to special credits and manual spreadsheet tracking. Kathleen Smith (Department of Revenue) said about 17 positions review returns involving those credits and estimated roughly 19% of their time is spent on that specific credit, underscoring manual-review burdens that may inform staffing decisions.

The committee requested verification of FTE counts, vacancy rates and a clearer breakdown of how many positions are funded versus how many are filled. No formal action was taken; staff will provide documentation to the committee before the next budget working session.