At the Dec. 17 meeting Harney County’s veteran services office reported recent activity and staffing plans. The office said it brought an additional $313,860.30 into the community in awards to disabled veterans in 2025 and that the total VA‑administered benefits to county veterans through Oct. 31 are $3,610,722.07. Staff said they currently represent 639 veterans (604 male, 35 female) though they noted these are not all veterans residing in the county.

The office announced a succession plan: Christy Mace (named) has been hired internally, completed initial week‑long VA training and will spend the next year completing accreditation requirements. The incumbent plans to reduce hours over an 18‑month transition period to help the new staffer achieve certification.

On housing, Beckoneridge Village (Veterans Village) has an unofficial waitlist of 8–10 veterans and staff estimated the project may house 20–30 veterans when it begins billing, potentially in late spring or early summer if construction and weather allow.

Commissioners asked about outreach, staffing hours and backlog at the VA; staff said centralized federal processing backlogs (exacerbated by a recent federal shutdown) have extended adjudication times and that outreach in remote areas has been limited by low on‑site demand.

Court thanked veteran services for the update and directed staff to continue coordinating the contract with the county’s mental‑health and behavioral‑health arrangements.