(Radio Iowa) – The Keokuk County Emergency Management director has been arrested on a felony theft charge. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. says 66-year-old Larry Smith was arrested following a state audit that determined Smith traded the Emergency Management Agency’s 2006 diesel truck for 800 dollars to a fleet dealership in September. He then paid 800 to the dealership to buy the truck for himself. The vehicle was estimated to be worth 66-hundred to more than 14-thousand dollars.

The audit said with the trade-in amount for the vehicle less than its value, the Keokuk County agency incurred additional costs. Smith resigned in October. The D-C-I says the investigation is ongoing– but no further details are being released at this time.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 12:45-a.m. today (Friday), in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a woman from southeast Iowa. Red Oak Police report 35-year-old Heather Lynn Porter, of Ottumwa, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on bond amounting to $491.25.

(Radio Iowa) – A group that successfully pushed for spending limits in state government three decades ago is urging Governor Reynolds to propose new limits on local governments. Chris Hagenow is president of Iowans for Tax Relief.  “We think it would be a good idea to implement a two-year property tax freeze in Iowa,” Hagenow says, “so that we can press pause and take a look at what some of what the various ideas might be to reform the system.”

Property taxes are the bulk of most city and county budgets. Hagenow’s group suggests that state lawmakers place both spending and borrowing limits on local governments — and resist having state government provide more money for the things local governments pay for today. “Real tax reform is placing limitations on government itself,” Hagenow says. Hagenow says it will be a multi-year discussion to come up with permanent changes to the state’s complicated property tax system.

“We don’t believe that this gets solved in one year. It’s taken many years to get to this point,” Hagenow says, “but property taxes in Iowa are the 10th highest in the nation and, as assessments are going up, Iowans are going to be faced with increasing property tax bills.” Hagenow made his comments yesterday (Thursday) during an online forum hosted by the governor. Another speaker told Reynolds his group fields the most complaints about property taxes.

“You’re right on property tax. It’s probably that most hated tax out there,” Reynolds said. “We’re working on individual and corporate (income taxes). That’s next up.” During a speech in Florida last month, Reynolds said she hopes to eliminate Iowa income taxes by the end of 2026.