Tompkins County veterans office highlights outreach, Dwyer grant and new VSO while trimming print costs

Tompkins County Veteran Services Officer JR Claiborne told the Expanded Budget Committee on Sept. 11 that his three-person office serves roughly 3,500 veterans and relies on a mix of county, state and grant funding to connect veterans to benefits and services. Claiborne, who opened his remarks by marking the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, said the department provides assistance with local benefits such as property-tax exemptions, helps veterans store or obtain discharge documents through the county clerk’s office, and refers veterans to regional VA medical clinics and workforce services. Claiborne said the department operates with three full-time equivalents and that local share accounts for 58% of the department budget while state aid and the Joseph B. Dwyer peer-support grant make up the remainder; he said the Dwyer grant is administered through state mental-health authorities and funds peer-support programming tied to the department’s work. He also said anticipated increases for office activity this year (such as a new staffer) were absorbed by the county. Claiborne announced that the office hired a dedicated veteran service officer, Ignacio Lopez, who is a U.S. Marine veteran and Cornell graduate and who started after Memorial Day; Claiborne said the hire brought “a whole level of energy into the office.” Claiborne said the office helps veterans access local services — including the county clerk’s partner program that creates government-issued veteran IDs for discounts — and assists veterans in applying for VA health care or other federal benefits when needed. He also described a county-supported program that provides flags at veterans’ graves and cemetery observations; Claiborne said Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) coordinates local volunteers who help place the flags in cemeteries each season. For 2026, Claiborne said there were no new enhancements requested but that his budget contains cost reductions that will affect printing and program expense; he said some program costs will shift toward a continued reliance on the Dwyer grant to support activities. Claiborne thanked the committee and noted a planned open house to celebrate the first anniversary of the Tompkins County Department of Veterans Services headquarters in the coming months. Ending: Claiborne’s presentation framed the office as a small team with significant outreach and benefits activity that relies on a mix of county funds and grants; he sought to preserve core services while trimming nonessential printing and program line items and noted the recent hire of a dedicated VSO to expand outreach.