Veterans Service reports increased retro payments and flags potential perennial need to raise perpetual-care funding

The county Veterans Service Officer told the Administrative Committee that the office handled a heavy workload in June, filing or processing 88 disability-compensation and pension claims and noting retroactive payments to veterans of $239,457.47 for claims decided in the office's favor during the month.

The officer said June call volume included 479 phone calls and 789 letters, emails and faxes; office visits were lower in June compared with the prior year. He said that for 2024 the office filed 115 claims and received $167,935.71 in retroactive payments that year for comparison.

The officer also described the county's administration of the state-established "perpetual care of graves" program. By state statute the county administers a reimbursement program for eligible veteran graves, and the Sawyer County office sends notices to towns and cemetery stewards when the application window opens July 1. The county currently budgets about $7,000 annually for those reimbursements and sets the reimbursement rate at $4 per veteran headstone. The officer said the program may require more funding in future years and that he would bring any request to the board if necessary.

The Veterans Service office also reported co-managing counseling sessions with the La Crosse Vet Center and maintaining training requirements. The committee had no formal action on the report but asked clarifying questions about rates and the reimbursement process.

Direct figures above are reported verbatim from the Veterans Service report as recorded in the meeting transcript.