Veterans and residents press commissioners to reconsider Justice Center memorial location

During the public-comment period, veterans and residents urged county leaders to reconsider the location and process used for a veterans memorial at the Justice Center.

Bill Corderman, who said he lives in Canton, recounted that veterans and family members who had been honored in this room previously felt sidelined by the location and process for the new memorial. Corderman said deputies entered the room during an earlier discussion and questioned whether veterans were treated as a threat; he described emotional statements from veterans at an April 14 meeting and criticized the site, saying a memorial placed near a jail or a building called a "Justice Center" risks being hidden or misunderstood by visitors.

Other speakers echoed the concern. One commenter said Lincoln County's treatment of veterans ranked low compared with other counties; another praised the meeting tone and urged continued civil discussion. Commissioners acknowledged the comments. At least one commissioner said veterans should be directly involved in designing memorials and noted the county had spent public money on the Justice Center project and associated engineering fees.

What speakers asked for: greater veteran involvement in design, reconsideration of the memorial's site and more transparent public engagement on the memorial process. Commissioners responded with appreciation for veteran service and said they would take the comments under advisement; no vote to reverse the earlier decision was recorded at this meeting.