Audit shows Iowa 911 system funds need better management

The surcharges pay about a fourth of the cost of operating E911 systems in the state while several other funding sources — including city and county tax money — pay the rest, said John Benson, the legislative liaison for the emergency management agency, which has oversight responsibilities for the E911 system.

Other recommendations on how to change the expense reporting form and document expenditures and receipts also have been completed with help from the auditor's office.

Auditors checked 16 of the E911 dispatch centers reporting documents for 2013 and found inconsistencies ranging from one county that underreported costs by an estimated $1 million and another that overreported by more than $334,000.