Legislative Fiscal Division debuts ‘state resources’ dashboard showing one‑time spending spikes

Legislative Fiscal Division staff demonstrated an interactive "state resources" expenditures dashboard that lets committee members and the public filter state spending by ongoing versus one‑time authority, fund type, agency and inflation‑adjusted dollars.

Analysts walked the committee through long‑run trends from 2002 to the latest full fiscal year. The tool highlights clear one‑time spending spikes following major events (post‑2008 financial actions and the COVID response), and shows how certain funds — for example, accommodations‑tax balances used by the Department of Commerce and wildfire‑suppression expenditures in DNRC — account for much of recent volatility.

Mr. Hopkins (LFD) said the dataset is the statutory "state resources" view (17‑7‑715) reassembled to avoid double counting and to label ongoing versus OTO expenditures. He noted the dashboard can show nominal or real dollars, indexed views tied to Montana personal income, and agency drill‑downs that reveal where large program or statutory payments reside.

Walker (LFD) demonstrated how users can isolate OTO projects such as HB6 grant programs and see remaining start‑up conditions, or inspect DNRC wildfire suppression as an ongoing, inherently spiky cost; staff emphasized the tool is a starting point for deeper reviews and recommended subcommittee follow‑up on large OTO commitments.

The committee praised the dashboard and asked staff to refine classifications (statutory vs. HB2 vs. OTO) and to surface likely fund‑balance transfer options where appropriate. LFD said it will continue work to reconcile anomalies and to publish the dashboard publicly on the LFD website.