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Monroe County Veterans Affairs reports rising benefits payouts, asks board to consider burial allowance increase
Summary
Veterans Affairs staff told commissioners the county's veterans compensation doubled since 2015 and requested the board consider raising a $300 county burial allowance funded by a countywide millage.
Monroe County Veterans Affairs staff told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 28 that veteran compensation paid into the county has roughly doubled since 2015 while the local veteran population has declined, and they asked the board to consider whether the county burial allowance should be increased.
Albon, a Veterans Affairs coordinator, said the office helps roughly 8,600 veterans in Monroe County navigate VA benefits and services. He told commissioners that county-wide veteran compensation rose from about $55 million in 2015 to more than $110 million in 2024, even as the veteran population decreased.
Nut graf: The Veterans Affairs office is funded in part by a countywide millage and reported that it distributed $28,574.93 in emergency aid in 2024 and provides a $300 burial allowance plus a $50 marker placement payment. Staff and at least one commissioner urged review of the burial allowance because rising costs have eroded the value of that benefit.
Albon described the Veterans Affairs Committee and the office's activity levels: last year the office handled roughly 1,800 phone calls, about 1,058 in-person appointments and 1,100 emails. He said the veterans' compensation dollars entering Monroe County have increased despite a shrinking veteran population.
Commissioner Levins asked about committee terms; Albon said committee members serve two-year rotating terms. A county staff member noted that the burial allowance program was funded by a countywide veterans millage and that the total county burial benefits approved in 2024 amounted to $18,900 (not per individual).
The board did not take a formal vote to change the burial allowance during the meeting; Commissioner Levins and others asked that the matter be referred to an appropriate committee for further recommendation and possible adjustment.
Ending: County staff said they would bring a recommendation back to the board; commissioners signaled willingness to revisit the $300 burial allowance in light of current costs.
