Veterans Affairs: Sanilac County reports $16.98 million in benefits, 545 rides and $80,616 in emergency aid for 2023

Shannon, the county Veterans Affairs director, presented the office’s 2023 annual report to the Sanilac County Board of Commissioners and highlighted increases in benefits and client services. According to Shannon, "for fiscal year 23, we paid to Santa Monica County veterans for compensation pension, readjustment and both rehab benefits and insurance and indemnities was $16,980,000 and that went up again from the previous year by $429,000." The presentation noted that the local veterans population had declined by about 144 people year‑over‑year even as benefit payments increased.

Shannon told commissioners the office provided 545 rides to veterans for medical appointments in 2023 and operates three vehicles for that purpose; the county purchased a third vehicle during the year and the office plans to retire an older white Traverse. The Veterans emergency assistance fund paid $80,616 in standalone-county emergency relief for needs including food, mortgage payments and home repairs. Commissioner Ben Bergel (S3) asked whether the increase in funding was programmatic or a result of outreach; Shannon credited outreach and office leadership for improved claims processing.

The board accepted the Veterans Affairs report without objection. Commissioners thanked Shannon and noted the health‑department renovation work nearby had been noisy but not disruptive to veterans services.

(Notes: transcript contains inconsistent place-name spellings; figures and direct quotes are taken from the presented packet and meeting remarks.)