WASHINGTON COUNTY — The Washington County Veterans Assistance Commission has been officially organized, according to Washington County Board Vice Chairman Eric Brammeier.
Brammeier said that since this is a new requirement of Washington County, operational and procedural questions are being discussed. As mandated by Illinois state statutes, Washington County is required to provide funding to the Veterans Assistance Commission, among other operational requirements, Brammeier said.
According to minutes from the Aug. 20 finance committee meeting, Brammeier introduced Larry Harrison to explain the Veterans Assistance Commission program. A resolution was presented regarding the annual budget for next year’s county budget. Brammeier told the newspaper that the Washington County Board will approve a budget for the county as it normally does every year.
Harrison told the committee that he wanted to hire a superintendent immediately to send to training in September. A Veterans Assistance Commission superintendent is an accredited Veterans Service Officer who would run the Veterans Assistance Commission. A Veterans Assistance Commission provides assistance to all county veterans and eligible family members to file all VA claims. It also provides emergency financial assistance to veterans who reside in the county, serves as a hub for all veteran assistance in the county, and is a one-stop entity for county veterans in need of federal, state, and local services.
