The Iowa Department of Transportation is looking to dramatically increase the amount of money spent on outside consultants after the legislature cut in half the amount of funding the department asked for in its budget for salaries. D-O-T director Paul Trombino, told the Transportation Commission members during a workshop that they will need to trim some 60 positions this year, and will need to add 10 million more dollars into the next budget for outside consultants.

The increase would be on top of the already proposed 22-and-a-half million dollar increase in the budget for consultants, and add to the more than 57 million dollars already spent on consultants. Trombino says the number of projects in the five-year construction plan is up 30 percent, and they need to be sure they have the services to manage those projects and keep them on time.

Trombino says they will not lay any workers off, but will instead not fill open positions. He says that means some changes as they try to best manage the staff available.

The D-O-T had asked lawmakers for nine-point-seven million dollars to cover negotiated pay increases, but lawmakers said they were unwilling to do so after approving an increase in the gas tax the last session. They ended up with a compromise that saw the legislature approve half of the funding. The Transportation Commission is expected to vote on approval of the five-year plan at its meeting in June.