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Veterans services director reports steady caseload, hiring push and training plans amid national VA layoffs
Summary
Dustin Peterson said the veterans office is underspent against budget but reported higher assistance in January and is pursuing a new hire amid training and accreditation plans; he said national VA layoffs have not disrupted local services.
Dustin Peterson, Linn County veteran services director, told the Board that the department's fiscal year spending is below expectations but that demand for assistance rose in January. "As of yesterday, we are sitting at 58.5% spent," Peterson said, and later reported that the office provided $12,643 in assistance to nine veterans and their families experiencing financial hardship in January 2025.
Peterson also said the office helped 105 veterans in January and aided 66 veterans with submissions for federal VA benefits. He described active recruitment for an income maintenance worker position: the application window closed with 55 applicants, five of whom were internal candidates.
On training and accreditation, Peterson outlined a timeline that would enable a new hire to attend spring training and a 40-hour basic benefits course that leads to national accreditation for veteran service officers. He described travel and registration costs for national conferences and said the department has $3,000 in additional state funding that can be used for national training.
Peterson raised concerns about recent national layoffs at the federal VA but said local county services continue. "We further reiterate that we are a state required office by Iowa code," he said, adding that local VA centers remain operational and that Linn County has not experienced service interruptions tied to the federal layoffs.
He said the department is planning a "veteran of the month" recognition program in partnership with Card My Yard Cedar Rapids and is reviewing legal and liability questions before rollout.
Ending: Peterson said staff will continue recruiting to fill the new position and to advance training goals that he said will benefit veterans' access to federal benefits.
