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Residents, veterans urge Bergen County to restore veteran services staff member
Summary
Multiple veterans and veterans’ organization leaders used public comment at a Bergen County commissioners meeting to urge restoration of veteran services staffing and raised concerns about a vacant position and access to benefits support.
Dozens of veterans and veterans’ advocates told the Bergen County Board of Commissioners during public comment that a recently vacant veteran services position has left clients without timely help and urged county leaders to restore staffing and oversight.
The appeals, made during the board’s public comment period, came from VFW and American Legion leaders and veterans who said a single staff member — named by speakers as Sean Hutchison — provided rapid help obtaining Department of Veterans Affairs paperwork and benefits and that his absence is harming service delivery. "He's very smart. He knows what he's doing, and he's done a phenomenal job so far," said Bruce Young, who identified himself as district 2 commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Speakers described specific failures in the county’s veteran services intake and follow-up. Dennis Studie, Bergen County American Legion commander, said the remaining staff (including a deputy named Gloria, per speakers) are "extremely overwhelmed" and urged the commissioners to consider making veterans services a standalone office rather than keeping it inside Human Services. "By him not being there is actually hurting our veteran community," Studie said.
Multiple speakers recounted personal cases in which Hutchison helped with DD-214 requests, benefit appeals, and veteran claims. "Sean Hutchison is the only person that stepped up from my dad," said Carolyn Nunziato, who said her family has sought VA benefits for a relative. Louis Morella, who said he is a 100 percent service-connected disabled veteran, told the commissioners, "This guy goes to the end with you. I never had satisfaction from anywhere where I tried to get help before until I met Sean."
Public comments included calls for administrative oversight and clearer performance reviews. John Smith, who said he has discussed the issue with commissioners, urged structural change: "I think the veterans for Bergen County should be represented with a separate department. It should not fall under human services," he said, also giving a county veterans population estimate of about "18,000" and saying the current workload exceeds available staff resources.
No formal board action was taken during the meeting to change department structure or to reinstate any individual. The commissioners did not debate or vote on a personnel matter during the public-comment segment; the speakers’ remarks were recorded as public testimony only. The county’s administrators and the board were asked by multiple speakers to check on the wellbeing of Hutchison and to consider additional veteran-service staffing or a different reporting structure.
The veterans speakers asked commissioners to follow up with veterans services leadership and with the county executive’s office. The meeting record shows no directive or motion accompanying those requests.
Background and next steps: speakers repeatedly urged the county to avoid further service interruptions and to provide adequate staffing and oversight for veteran benefits work. The commissioners approved a consent agenda later in the meeting covering a range of routine resolutions, but the board did not take a separate public vote related to its veteran services organization during this session.
