Lucas County proclaims Veterans and Military Families Month; Veterans Service Commission requests 7% budget increase

The Lucas County Board of Commissioners approved a proclamation designating November 2025 as Veterans and Military Families Month and heard a subsequent budget presentation from the Lucas County Veterans Service Commission.

During the proclamation item, Dave Horvath, director of the Lucas County Veterans Service Commission, described Veterans Day’s origins and thanked community partners. Horvath said the county is home to more than 20,000 veterans and that the commission’s outreach work has included presence at festivals and community events. “Veterans Service Commission of Lucas County empowers and supports all veterans,” Horvath said, summarizing the commission’s purpose.

Later in the meeting Horvath presented the Veterans Service Commission’s 2026 budget request. The commission requested $3,030,000, an increase of about $200,000 (roughly 7%) over the prior year’s budget of roughly $2,820,000. Horvath cited the commission’s move to a new facility with a community room, expanded outreach (more than 88 events year-to-date versus roughly 10 events in 2024), nationally accredited service officers, and increases in operating needs tied to outreach and claims processing.

Horvath said the office reduced certain contracts and negotiated savings that lowered some charges and services line items, but said operating expenses and outreach demands require an overall budget increase. He reported that the commission assisted 4,214 veterans and families in the prior year and cited Veterans Affairs benefit flows into the county: compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation, survivor benefits and medical care totaling tens of millions of dollars returned to Lucas County in 2024.

Commissioners praised the commission’s outreach expansion and contract savings, and asked questions about federal shutdown impacts on VA claim processing. Horvath said claims processing had improved from a five-month backlog to roughly 40 days, though federal adjudication delays remained a risk during the federal shutdown. Commissioners acknowledged the new facility’s operating needs and indicated the requested increase was justified based on services and space requirements.

The board also photographed the Veterans Commission staff after the proclamation and discussed upcoming Veterans Day events hosted by the commission.

No formal vote on the Veterans Service Commission’s budget request was recorded during this hearing; the item was presented as part of the budget process.