A veterans support movement with its origins dating from the end of the American Civil War received a boost at the beginning of 2024, and Monroe County is making plans to become the latest Illinois county to boast its own Veterans Assistance Commission. 

With the Monroe County Veterans Assistance Commission officially chartered Dec. 4, representatives of county, regional and state level VACs introduced themselves to commissioners during the Dec. 15 Monroe County Board meeting.

A VAC is an officially recognized commission designed to assist veterans with claims benefits, among other duties.

The general concept recognizes veterans may at times face a difficult path to obtain benefits to which they are entitled. Local VACs are formed to provide qualified experts to assist with what can be an overwhelming claims process.

While the board welcomed the idea – with  Chairman George Green voicing his support Monday – the abrupt announcement of the Monroe County charter raised several questions as to how a Monroe County VAC will be administered.

That matter and more will be topics of conversation during a discussion planned for next week, Green said during Monday’s meeting.

It appears as if it’s not a matter of “if” but “how” the Monroe County VAC will be operated – and funded – in 2026 following its official establishment just over a month ago. 

During the Dec. 15 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.

Unfortunately, the Monroe County charter was established days after passage of the county’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

As support for a VAC is provided from the county, there is no mechanism to fund the Monroe County charter in the current budget year ending Nov. 30.

Alternative funding options are also expected to be covered during next week’s discussion.

Last month, Jameson gave an overview of the function and history of the VAC, calling on the board to recognize and support the effort.

Jameson noted that only about half of Illinois counties currently have a local VAC despite the efforts being mandated by recently revamped state statute.

Updates to the Illinois Veterans Service Organizations State Charter Act went into effect Jan. 1, 2024, giving the movement stronger legs to stand on. 

Reform of state veterans assistance legislation began in earnest in 2011, with  major amendments passed 2022 providing minimum funding requirements, including a pre-authorized local tax levy to fund county-level VACs.

A local charter requires 15 members representing two official veterans organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion.

With that requirement met, the application was approved by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office last month. 

It was not stated during either County Board meeting whether or not the VAC organizers had previously notified county officials of the charter’s approval prior to public comment last month. 

Speakers during the Dec. 15 meeting gave an overview of the problems veterans may face in accessing benefits – including non-accredited “claim sharks,” private attorneys alleged to take advantage of veterans by taking significant portions of their benefits as a legal fee.

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. 

John Lawson, superintendent of the St. Clair County VAC, explained that a statutory penalty of $50,000 for non-accredited personnel did little to prevent unqualified individuals from taking on veterans claims cases as the fine is often only a percentage of the legal fees for cases involving a significant monetary value.

In December, representatives of the VAC requested rent-free office space to be provided by the county, although no specifics were mentioned.

It was also stated that a VAC for Monroe County would only require a few personnel, although it was noted that local charter supervisors are financially compensated for their work. Details on possible salary amounts were also not discussed.

The carryover of the conversation into 2026 took on a decidedly edgier tone in the new year.

While St. Clair VAC President Jim Page focused on the benefits of a local VAC – such as a “hand up” and the ability to “cut through red tape” – a post on the “Veterans Assistance Commission of Monroe County, IL” Facebook page expressed an eagerness to get the commission up and running.

The post advised its readers to “stay tuned for a posting of the job description for a full-time (Veterans Service Officer) as soon as the county approves the budget.”

In response to inquiries about requirements of the position, a comment stated, “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves as we are waiting on a budget from the county,” adding that those involved in the VAC expect “to fill the position hopefully by the end of January.”

If Monday’s meeting is any indication of a timeline, the end of January may be a bit of wishful thinking, mostly due to the novelty of the organization and the fact that it was introduced during the last meeting before the holiday season.

Although the other speakers on Monday sought to further inform the board, Lawson returned Jan. 5 with rhetoric that stopped just short of an outright threat.

Lawson reiterated the previously-stated EAV percentage funding mandate, also presenting the argument that “military veterans are entitled by law to have access to a properly formed VAC.”

He continued by describing a symbolic contract armed forces personnel enter upon joining the military, a contract which Lawson said requires ongoing support for veterans even after their active duty tenure is completed.

“Failure or delay (to establish a VAC) is a violation of the contract,” Lawson said, hinting at his displeasure that the Monroe County charter has yet to be officially funded.

“Honor the contract,” Lawson concluded after being advised by Green that he had exceeded the three minute public comment time limit by two minutes.

The topic will likely be discussed during the next Monroe County Board meeting, which will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, rather than its usual Monday date due to the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19.