Leaders of the Veterans Assistance Commission of St. Clair County warned county officials Monday that veterans could face waitlists and service delays if the agency does not receive additional funding for increased staffing.
The commission provides financial aid to veterans for rent, mortgage, utilities or food, and helps veterans and their families claim disability and pension benefits.
On Monday, the St. Clair County Board’s Finance Committee met to consider amending a draft of the 2026 budget before the full board votes on it next week. Committee members corrected a handful of mistakenly omitted payroll changes.
More than 30 veterans attended the meeting as commission leaders and supporters made a last-ditch appeal for more funding. Their pleas prompted officials to open the door to further budget talks with the commission, beginning with suggestions proposed during Monday night’s meeting.
County Board Chairman Mark Kern suggested officials try to meet again Tuesday to continue the discussion.
The county initially rejected the commission’s request for a $282,000 budget increase, which included about $100,000 for a new office and furniture, according to Kern. The request also included a $67,000 increase for payroll.
Instead, officials proposed a roughly $20,000 increase, bringing the veterans assistance budget to nearly $1.1 million. Kern said the county strives to avoid spending that would raise its property taxes.
But he said Monday’s meeting was the first time he had heard the commission’s justifications for its budget request.
Group makes case for funding
Commission leaders said the number of claims they are seeing from veterans and their families is rising.
“Our staff of six is not nearly adequate enough to support the 25,000-plus veterans and an unknown number of surviving spouses of St. Clair County,” Commission Superintendent John Lawson said.
The commission’s year-end report to the County Board, which was shared publicly Nov. 12, stated the agency wants to add two employees because “our team is at capacity and gaining operational responsibilities.” The report also said the commission wants a new office space to support growth and comply with health privacy and accessibility laws.
The commission’s current location is 19 Public Square, which also houses the Intergovernmental Grants Department and St. Clair County Health Department.
It has proposed moving to 23 Public Square, the Mathis, Marifian & Richter building, according to information shared during the meeting.
Last year, the commission also considered leasing space from the city of Belleville at the former Lindenwood University-Belleville. However, meeting minutes from that time state the campus posed accessibility challenges. The commission would have needed to renovate bathrooms and add a chair lift to a set of stairs.
Board proposed budget solutions
County Board members began discussing potential solutions to the commission’s funding challenges during Monday’s meeting.
Steve Gomric, a Democrat representing part of Belleville in District 8, suggested checking whether any other county-owned buildings have space that the commission could use to save on rent, which is expected to increase by $78,000 at the Mathis building.
Kern said the VAC could also save $50,000 in its budget by letting the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office handle its legal work. He also brought up the possibility of state and federal grants to help fund the commission.
Gomric floated the idea of asking more local governments to help financially support the VAC. Veterans from other areas like Monroe County and St. Louis come to St. Clair County because their communities do not offer the same services, board members said.
Kern noted that the commission decided in recent years to increase the superintendent’s salary from $90,000 to $140,000. Only about 15 employees and elected officials in the county make more money.
The county board chairman, treasurer, assessor, county clerk, auditor, circuit clerk, coroner and county recorder all make less: about $106,000.
In a report to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lawson stated that the VAC brings more federal dollars into the local economy through veterans benefits than local taxpayers pay to cover the cost of the commission.
It secured over $7 million in federal funding for veterans so far this year, Lawson said Monday.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Lexi Cortes is a reporter for the BND, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
