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Van Buren County awards $5,000 to West Michigan Veterans Treatment Court; approves FY26 veterans grant
Summary
At its April 22 Committee of the Whole meeting, Van Buren County agreed to provide $5,000 to the West Michigan Regional Veterans Treatment Court and approved execution of the fiscal year 2026 MVAA grant, moves intended to sustain testing and direct services for justice-involved veterans.
Van Buren County’s Committee of the Whole on April 22 approved a $5,000 one‑time payment to the West Michigan Regional Veterans Treatment Court and authorized the board chair to sign the county’s fiscal year 2026 Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) grant documents.
The funding decision followed public remarks from the court’s presiding judge, who described the program’s 11‑year history and said a $5,000 county contribution would cover drug- and alcohol‑testing costs and allow five to six additional veterans to participate this year. “We test three times a week, drugs and alcohol, on a randomized basis,” the judge said, describing testing as a recurring program cost the grant alone does not fully cover.
County staff said the $5,000 would come from the county’s specialty court fund reserve. A county administrator recommended the contribution during the meeting and told commissioners that administration “certainly makes a recommendation that we continue that $5,000 support.” Commissioners moved and approved the payment by voice vote; the motion carried.
Separately, Veterans Services staff presented and the Committee approved the county’s FY26 MVAA grant package and authorized the board chair to sign related documents. Veterans Services staff said the MVAA allocation for FY26 will be reduced by about $32,000 and said the office plans a conservative approach, prioritizing the dental and emergency relief programs. The motion to approve the MVAA grant and related signatures passed on a voice vote.
Commissioners discussed assisting the Veterans Treatment Court in pursuing additional state and regional grants; the judge requested help from county grant-writing resources to prepare more competitive applications for Lansing grant programs. Commissioners signaled willingness to help and said staff would follow up.
The committee also heard several calendar and outreach items from Veterans Services, including upcoming graduations, community events and training for new staff. Staff said they perform out-of-office home visits for veterans who cannot travel and maintain an ESA (emotional support animal) fundraising channel to supplement program funding.
Looking ahead, county staff will sign the MVAA paperwork and execute the specialty-court reserve payment; they also agreed to explore grant‑writing assistance for the West Michigan Regional Veterans Treatment Court.
