Veterans council approves county line item and sponsorship letter to fund Calexico monument repairs

District 1 Frank Pacheco and four other council members voted on two related actions Tuesday after discussion and public comment: creating a county-held line item to receive sponsorship money for projects the Veterans Advisory Council (VAC) advances, and approving a sponsorship letter for repairs to the Calexico veterans monument. The council approved both measures by a 4–1 vote. The line item will be held by the county treasurer and auditor and used for project sponsorships the council brings forward; the council does not become a separate 501(c)(3).

The vote followed debate over whether municipal governments or the county should be responsible for maintaining monuments. Ramiro Castillo, District 2, voted against creating the sponsorship line item, saying he believed individual cities should be responsible for their own monuments. "My opinion is this, that the cities that have their own monuments, they are responsible for the maintenance and not the VSO or the county," Castillo said. Other members said the line item simply provides a mechanism for donations to be received and held until they're used for approved projects.

Several veterans and community members urged the council to act on the Calexico monument. Ambrose Ramirez III, CEO of Rook 22 and senior vice commander of VFW 9305, told the council he viewed the monument as an Imperial Valley responsibility and offered his nonprofit's help raising funds. "This is the Imperial Valley. The valley should work together," Ramirez said.

Council staff explained how the line item will function. Sponsorships will be received by the county and deposited into the designated account; checks can be made payable to the Veterans Services Office. Staff clarified the line item is intended for sponsored projects and is not a general VAC operating budget. After that clarification, a motion to create the line item passed; later, the council approved the sponsorship letter for the Calexico monument with the same 4–1 vote.

Discussion-only points included suggestions to engage local artists and youth groups in repairs. Skye Ingsworth, an Army veteran, proposed involving Boy Scouts and local artists to replace a missing panel and involve the community in upkeep rather than rely solely on cash donations. The council directed staff to use the county process for accepting funds and to include payment instructions in the sponsorship letter.

The actions are procedural: a county-held account was created to receive sponsorship money and a sponsorship letter for the Calexico monument was approved. No specific repair contractor, timeline, or dollar amounts were approved at the meeting.