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Committee approves renaming 'war veteran' seat to 'active duty veteran' to align with statute
Summary
The committee voted to forward a recommendation to the board to change the veteran services committee seat title from 'war veteran' to 'active duty veteran,' citing MCL section 35.621 and concerns that the 'wartime' label could discourage qualified applicants.
The Appointment and Alignment Committee voted July 28 to forward to the Board of Commissioners a recommendation to change the veteran services committee seat title from "war veteran" to "active duty veteran" so the application language aligns with state statute.
A staff member read from a July 8 memo citing MCL section 35.621 and said, "Section 35.621 states that committee members must be residents of the county who have served honorably on active duty in the armed forces of the United States. Nowhere in the act does it require committee members to be wartime veterans." The staff member recommended revising application language to match the statute to avoid unintentionally discouraging otherwise qualified applicants.
The chair said the context "makes great sense, aligning with statute and making it more clear, for the veterans who apply," and the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The motion was recorded on the agenda as a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners; the committee did not itself change the ordinance or statute but forwarded the recommendation for the board's consideration.
Next steps: staff will forward the committee recommendation to the Board of Commissioners for review and any formal action.
