Haywood County designates November 2025 for Operation Green Light for Veterans after veterans officer briefing

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution declaring November 2025 as Operation Green Light for Veterans following a presentation from the county veterans officer.

Veterans Officer Steven read the resolution and urged residents to display green lights in windows or businesses to honor service members transitioning from active duty. He said the resolution follows encouragement from the National Association of Counties and framed the display as a local observance tied to Veterans Day recognition.

The resolution set aside the month as a time to salute and honor service members; the board passed the measure after a motion from the chair and a second from a commissioner. The chair called for ayes and recorded the vote as unanimous.

In his briefing, Veterans Officer Steven reviewed county data and the office's work assisting veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs claims. He said Haywood County had 5,039 veterans in the 2023 count and that veterans represent roughly 8.1% of the county population. Referring to a FY24 packet figure, he read a direct-expenditure number from the VA report as "44,000,000, 907,000," which he said reflects federal disability and compensation dollars that veterans spend locally.

Steven outlined how the VA claims process typically works: after the county office files a claim, a VA regional office often orders a contracted medical exam to determine whether a condition is service connected; if the exam finds the condition "less likely than not," claimants receive denial letters and the county office pursues appeals. He described benefit thresholds (for example, a 10% disability rating can unlock VA health care) and noted that higher combined ratings can yield additional entitlements for veterans and, in some cases, their dependents (he referred to CHAMPVA for dependents and nursing-home coverage tied to higher ratings).

Steven said the veterans office handles an average of about 85 claims per month (including appeals and higher-level reviews) and that staff work persistently when claims are denied. "We don't take no for an answer," he said, describing ongoing evidence-collection and appeals work for denied claims. He added that the office tracks cases and stays in regular contact with claimants.

He also described prior grant spending for office improvements and outreach materials and said the office has applied for a new $20,000 grant to expand outreach and outreach branding. "If we get that, we'll be able to share our message and name brand out there permanently," he said, and invited suggestions for durable outreach investments rather than short-term advertising.

Board members thanked Steven for his service and for the office's assistance to veterans. One commissioner asked how veterans learn about the county office's services; Steven said outreach is largely word-of-mouth, supported by the county website and referrals from VA medical staff.

A commissioner noted the county courthouse's green floodlights and said he lights his home in Bethel; he also read Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1954 Veterans Day proclamation to underscore the day of reflection. After brief additional remarks, the board moved, seconded and approved the resolution. The chair thanked Steven before adjourning the meeting.

The board also approved an 11-item consent agenda earlier in the meeting; no public comments or administrative reports were on the agenda for this session.

What’s next: The Operation Green Light designation is an honorary observance encouraging residents and businesses to display green lights during the period specified in the resolution; the resolution passed and the board did not schedule further committee action on the matter during this meeting.