Rep. Carter Nordman Photo courtesy of ballotpedia.org

An Iowa House committee is looking at legislation to hold county emergency management commissions accountable for how they spend their funds.

House District 47 Representative Carter Nordman (R-Panora) tells Raccoon Valley Radio in the local government committee there are two bills that address issues from a couple of county emergency management commissions who are believed to be taking advantage of how they use their funding for different purchases.

“(An) emergency management commission buying a $22,000 drone but nobody can fly it because they’re not licensed, nor do they know how to. Or buying a side-by-side (vehicle) that the county also had a side-by-side (vehicle) and offered them to use it. So we’re just making sure that these emergency management commissions are spending money in the proper way.” 

Nordman assures everyone that most of the emergency management commissions are conducting their budgets responsibly, including all entities that are within House District 47. These bills are still in committee and have not been passed for the full floor for consideration at this time.