Brazos County veterans’ office announces new West End location, ribbon cutting and resource fair; commissioners add Veterans Day to county holiday list

Pam, the county veteran service officer, told the Brazos County Commissioners Court on Sept. 16 that the Veterans Service Office has relocated to the West End offices of the Roy Kelly Parking Garage and that the office serves more than 5,000 veterans annually. “We have secured $2,700,000 in retroactive pay, and we have 778,000 in monthly compensation for our veterans this year,” Pam said, describing recent outcomes the office attributed to its work. She announced a ribbon cutting for the new office at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 and a veterans resource fair and claims clinic on Nov. 2 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Brazos Center. During the meeting the court also approved the proposed county holidays for fiscal year 2026. Tanya Skinner, the county collections director and Precinct 2 resident, thanked the court for adding Veterans Day as an official county holiday for current employees, saying staff and veterans had advocated for the change because previously some veteran employees used vacation time to observe the day. Why this matters: The office relocation and events affect veterans’ access to county services and benefits, and the holiday change affects county employees and office operations on Veterans Day. Background and next steps: The county will display the presentation poster Pam delivered; county staff will finalize event logistics for the Oct. 2 ribbon cutting and Nov. 2 resource fair. Commissioners approved the FY2026 holiday schedule by voice vote.