Kalamazoo County is looking into claims that its veterans’ office was critically understaffed for two weeks.
The county once had two employees who could help veterans apply for federal benefits, but one of them left recently. When the other took a vacation, Commissioner Mike Seals says the office was down to one clerk who cannot help with Veterans Administration benefits.
Seals says that’s unacceptable.
“I apologize to the veterans of this county that we are not adequately serving you at this time, and I can only hope that we can change that,” Seals told the commission Tuesday.
Some veterans’ advocates say Kalamazoo’s office is understaffed compared with other counties. And Seals wanted the county to immediately add another person to the office. But commissioners rejected that proposal. Some said they support adding staff if the budget is approached properly, and will seek to take the issue up soon.
Others said they weren’t sure more people working at the office would solve the board’s effectiveness problems. Board member Julie Rogers says she knows veterans have had a hard time getting services at the county.
“But I think to make a good decision we need some more information, looking at the last year or two years, of what is the true need, how long has the waiting list been,” she says.
