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Cowlitz County officials discuss $900,000 veterans relief fund, possible use of investment income to cover admin costs
Summary
County finance and health staff reviewed the Veterans Relief Fund balance, described application and service partnerships, and said staff will return during 2026 budget discussions to request covering administrative costs with the fund's investment income instead of a general-fund transfer.
Cowlitz County finance staff gave commissioners an update Monday on the Veterans Relief Fund, noting the fund has built up to about $900,000 and that county staff will ask during 2026 budget planning to use the fund's investment income to cover roughly $30,000 in administrative expenses instead of a transfer from the general fund.
The fund is supported by a fraction of property taxes and is established in statute to provide emergency assistance to low-income veterans, county finance manager Susie Moon told commissioners. Moon said most property-tax receipts for the fund arrive in April and October, so the county expects a revenue increase later in the month.
County and public-health staff described how the fund operates and how applications are processed. The fund pays short-term, emergency items such as food, utilities, rent or emergency vehicle repair; individual assistance categories carry maximums, Moon said, and applicants are often directed first to veteran-service organizations and other community resources. Moon said volunteer staff from VFW posts and local veteran-service organizations help veterans complete applications.
"We are going to be coming back to you guys when we prepare for the 2026 budget — asking to, instead of having that come in from the general fund, to actually have the investment income that's generated in this fund to cover those expenses to help the general fund a little bit," Moon said during the meeting.
Commissioners and staff noted growing outside pressure to spend the accumulated balance, including requests to pay a coordinator or run a small grant program for veteran-serving agencies. Commissioner Dahl said he supports tangible, outcome-focused spending rather than only paying a coordinator's salary. "I want some tangible help, not just paying somebody's salary," Dahl said.
Staff said the fund has grown in recent years — Moon estimated the balance was about $800,000 when she joined the county and that it has increased roughly $100,000 over the past two-plus years — and that part of the growth stems from fluctuating service availability during COVID and the timing of receipts.
Staff did not propose a final plan at the meeting. Moon said the board would hear a formal budget request in 2026 if staff proposes changing which revenue pays administrative costs, and that conversations about grant programs, a coordinator position or other uses for one-time projects are ongoing.
The county also described coordination with local nonprofits. Moon said partner organizations sometimes commit part of a payment for an emergency need and then request the remainder from the Veterans Relief Fund, effectively creating a partnership to meet a veteran's need.
Ending: County staff did not vote on any expenditure or program changes at the meeting; they will return with formal budget requests and a timeline for any proposed administrative or programmatic changes in the 2026 budget process.
