Lake County veterans urge restoration of in‑county veteran service officers as commissioners say vacancies are being filled

A cluster of Lake County veterans urged the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 to restore and staff its veteran service officer positions after a recent reorganization left the county without designated VSOs for a period.

Why it matters: County veteran service officers help veterans and their families navigate the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs claims process, benefits eligibility and other services. Speakers said timely access to experienced advocates materially affects medical and financial outcomes for veterans and their dependents.

What speakers said
Several veterans described repeated local experience of finding the county VSO office unstaffed when they brought claims and said that only an experienced VSO with military experience can effectively guide claimants through the VA’s complex processes. Chris Jerome Singh told commissioners his background as a veteran and longtime service‑officer volunteer and said: “All I'm begging and asking you for, if you have it in your heart, please let us have VSO again.”

Other public speakers quantified emotional and public‑health impacts: one veteran said as many as “22 people a day” who are veterans die from suicide and argued that “service officers … need to be run by veterans and supervised by veterans.” Another long‑time volunteer, Dave Bristol, told the board that turnover followed an organizational change and said county management needed to better support qualified staff.

County response
County Manager Jennifer Barker said the veteran services office was reorganized after the long‑time director retired. “When the previous veteran services director retired, we transitioned the department to merge with the housing and human services department, to expand the services available,” Barker said. She told the board that some employees chose to leave during the transition but that the county is actively recruiting and interviewing candidates and that the positions are being filled.

Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: Veterans and veterans‑service volunteers spoke during the citizen comment period, urging that the county restore dedicated VSOs and retain experienced, preferably veteran, staff. Speakers asked that the county avoid placing Veterans Services under a department that does not include experienced veterans.
- Direction/clarification: Jennifer Barker clarified that the VSO function now sits within the Housing & Human Services umbrella and that staffing recruitment was underway. County staff said interim assistance is being offered through housing staff while the formal VSO positions are filled.
- Formal action: No formal motion was taken; the meeting record shows the manager’s assurances and staff reports that interviews and recruitment were occurring.

Clarifying details and community impact
- Administrative change: Veteran services were merged under Housing & Human Services following the VSO director’s retirement; some veteran‑services employees left during that transition and roles are being actively recruited.
- Service need: Veterans and volunteers emphasized the role of VSOs in filing VA claims (e.g., dependence‑and‑indemnity compensation, disability claims), and the community noted that local VSOs previously handled substantial caseloads that volunteers help prepare.

Ending
Commissioners and the manager said they would continue recruitment and that staff would return as hires are completed. Speakers asked for the new positions to be staffed by experienced personnel, preferably including people with veteran status who understand military culture and the VA claims process.