Two months after the Monroe County Veterans Assistance Commission was officially chartered, it received its first round of official funding last Tuesday.

Representatives of county, regional and state level VACs introduced themselves to commissioners during the Dec. 15 Monroe County Board meeting, although they were a few weeks too late to be scheduled into the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

During that December board meeting, Illinois VFW State VAC Liaison Doug Jameson addressed the board, explaining that, as of the beginning of 2024, the state’s Military Veterans Assistance Act requires counties to provide a minimum of .02 percent of the latest equalized assessed value of taxable county properties to support its VAC.

Last Tuesday, commissioners approved a resolution to provide $115,000 from the county’s general fund to support VAC operations in the current fiscal year, a move applauded by veterans in attendance.

Jameson expressed his “personal appreciation for all those behind the scenes who are making the vision a reality” on the VAC’s Facebook page following the funding approval.

With a job posting for the position promising an $80,000 salary for the superintendent of the new commission, the county’s cost to fund the VAC will likely double at least when next year’s agenda is approved.

To make up for an expected shortfall, commissioners noted there are a number of local veteran support organizations that may be able to contribute to the VAC in the meantime.

When updates to the Illinois Veterans Service Organizations State Charter Act went into effect Jan. 1, 2024, a number of county-level veterans assistance commissions have been established throughout the state.

VACs are responsible for supporting veterans and their families through emergency financial assistance and other programs. 

The commission is also able to assist veterans and their families with injury- or death-related claims, a process that can seem overwhelming to those not familiar with the process.

As explained in December, an individual representing a veteran’s benefit claim must be accredited through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and be affiliated with a state-chartered organization such as a VAC.

Many times, those without a VAC to help out can have a large chunk of their benefit payouts taken by unauthorized legal representation – despite a statutory penalty of $50,000 for non-accredited personnel engaging in veteran claims cases, according to St. Clair County VAC John Lawson.

While partial funding of the Monroe County VAC has been approved, there are other aspects still to be solidified.

During the December meeting, representatives of the VAC requested rent-free office space to be provided by the county, although no specifics were mentioned then or last Tuesday.

During last week’s meeting, Commissioner Vicki Koerber said she understood she was to be the official county liaison to the VAC, although she had not been notified of any of the commission’s meetings in the past two months.

Jameson explained that to be an official liaison, one must be a military veteran.

As none of the current board members are veterans, that role remains unfilled at present.

There are other logistical aspects still requiring attention, such as publicly-available contact information and inclusion on the official Monroe County website.

For the time being, learn more about the VAC by clicking here.