Wapello County adopts FY2026-27 budget after public hearing that highlighted veterans office staffing and notice questions

The Wapello County Board of Supervisors on a voice vote adopted the fiscal year 2026-27 budget (Resolution 6-2026) after a public hearing that featured questions about public-notice postings and extensive testimony urging more veterans services staffing.

During public comment, resident Dennis Wilho said he could not find required public notices for the March 24 tax-levy/budget statement meeting or the current hearing on the county website or on social media. "If these notices were not properly posted as required by law, that raises concern not about any one individual, but about the compliance with statutory requirements designed to ensure transparency and public access," he said, citing House File 718 (2023 amendment) as the statutory framework he consulted.

The board and staff searched the county website during the hearing and staff located a notice under the "meetings and agendas" section and on a veterans page; board members acknowledged the county Facebook page was not yet fully operational and discussed whether public notices should appear separately from agenda lists.

Veterans advocates used the hearing to press the county on staffing and service levels. Eric Livingston, speaking for the Veterans Affairs Commission, asked the board to consider funding a part-time assistant so the veterans services director could achieve accreditation standards and manage a backlog of claims. "We are requesting 20 hours ... specifically is asked for because to get full accreditation for that position, that individual needs to be working 20 hours or more per week," Livingston said.

The veterans services director, Tim Evans, gave a report covering his first year on the job and said his office recorded 1,434 unique veteran contacts between June 2025 and March 2026, with about 60 known claims granted and roughly 80 active claims in process. He described an estimated backlog of roughly 13,000 documents, monthly benefit flows into veterans' pockets exceeding $1.1 million, and a need for help to process files and handle outreach.

Board members expressed sympathy for the workload and discussed short-term options, including hiring a part-time worker, using contract assistance under intergovernmental (28E) arrangements, or amending the budget later in the fiscal year. The supervisors also noted tighter state-level rules could alter how county veteran grant funding is awarded; speakers described a pending state bill that, if enacted, would use tiers tied to production increases to allocate some veteran grant dollars.

Despite the concerns raised, the board voted to adopt the budget while several supervisors said they remain committed to looking for revenue increases and additional expense reductions in future meetings. The board closed the public hearing and passed Resolution 6-2026 by voice vote.

Next steps: supervisors said they could revisit and amend the budget during the fiscal year if unforeseen needs arise.