Saratoga County veterans director details services, funding needs and new state tax exemption

Frank McClennon, director of the Saratoga County Veteran Services Agency, presented the agency's annual report to the county Veterans Affairs Committee on March 4, outlining service volumes, funding sources and new legal changes affecting disabled veterans.

McClennon said Saratoga County's veteran population is “hovering just above 14,000” and emphasized the local economic impact of connecting veterans to benefits: “VA total expenditures in Saratoga County was in excess of $142 million,” he told supervisors, adding that roughly $69 million represents direct payments to beneficiaries.

Why it matters: McClennon urged supervisors to support programs that link veterans to federal benefits, saying the result is better service for veterans and reduced local taxpayer burdens. He also highlighted several county programs — transportation to VA appointments, a peer-support program and an emergency veterans trust fund — that rely on limited county and grant funding.

The county-run veterans transportation service, McClennon said, fills a gap for ambulatory veterans traveling to VA medical centers and specialty clinics. “In 2025, we provided 479 rides to vets,” he said, and the vans logged “just under 17,000 miles.” The service runs three days a week and receives no funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or New York State; eligibility is limited to veterans with VA medical appointments.

McClennon described the peer connection program, founded under a PFC Joseph Dwire state grant, as a statewide benchmark and credited coordinator Aaron Cassidy with increasing participation “by over 200%” in three years. The program's state grant rose modestly from an initial $180,000 to just above $200,000; McClennon said the program's growth has outpaced that funding and encouraged supervisors to press state legislators for additional support.

The agency's veterans trust fund, created in 2011 and administered by the county treasurer, is used for emergency grants when other programs do not fit. McClennon said the fund balance is “just under $150,000,” grants are typically capped at $1,500, and examples of assistance have included emergency car repairs, home heating fixes and buying books for students while delayed GI Bill payments cleared.

On legislation and grants, McClennon discussed recent federal and state developments. He said the federal PACT Act (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022) expanded presumptions for exposure-related conditions and has increased demand for his office’s services. He also described a coalition application for a federal competitive grant (described in the presentation as the Dole grant program) seeking about $700,000 that was not selected. McClennon said he has not yet received clarity from the New York State Department of Veteran Services about whether the state applied for certain federal grant funds and pledged to follow up.

McClennon briefed the committee on a newly signed New York State property-tax exemption that provides 100% exemption for certain permanently and totally disabled veterans or those receiving eligible home-modification assistance. He said the law, following chapter amendments, is mandatory for municipalities and will not take effect until October, giving towns and assessors time to plan for its implementation.

Looking ahead, McClennon outlined 2026 priorities: streamline intake and client scheduling (the office fields roughly 1,000 calls monthly and is booking four to eight weeks out), pursue claims-clinic events with neighboring counties and the VA to increase capacity, and continue outreach and fundraising efforts such as the Rev Run for Veterans (which raised $16,000 in 2025 with more than 300 registrants).

A supervisor asked whether Albany is the primary VA destination for county transport; McClennon explained VA regional clinic structure and said the county focuses trips to Albany when specialty clinics require travel outside the county. He also said he expects to share guidance or template language from state counsel and the NYS Department of Veteran Services once available.

The meeting concluded after routine other business, including scheduling and a request that the committee receive monthly peer-program calendars from Aaron Cassidy; a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved.