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Mobile service unit headed to GTC Veterans Affairs

The Record-Eagle - 5/8/2021

May 8—TRAVERSE CITY — A mobile unit that will reach out to area veterans is coming to Grand Traverse County Veterans' Affairs.

The mobile service unit is meant to reach veterans who may be unaware of the benefits they are entitled to and the services offered by the veterans agency.

It will travel to rural areas of the county, as well as to Leelanau County and to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians administration building, said Michael Roof, director of Veterans' Affairs.

"The premise of it is just to get out and reach people, better than what we're doing now," Roof said. "It's time to take it up a notch and provide services directly where people are."

About $27.8 million per year comes into the county that goes directly to veterans and their dependents, Roof said. Another $4.78 million goes to veterans in Leelanau County, which contracts with Grand Traverse County for services.

Even so, Michigan ranks 45th in the nation when it comes to VA money expended in the state, and 41st in compensation and pension spent per veteran.

Roof is hoping the mobile unit will increase that amount.

"When more money is brought into the county it's better for the economy and it's better for the lives of veterans and their families," Roof said.

Veterans who were hurt, sick or injured during active duty service are entitled to up to $3,100 per month tax-free, depending on the severity of their disability, Roof said.

Disabilities include things like hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder or even heart disease or cancer contracted during their service, he said.

The county veterans office serves about 6,300 vets in Grand Traverse County and about 1,700 in Leelanau County. Roof does not know how many veterans the agency is not reaching.

The Grand Traverse County Board unanimously approved the purchase at its regular meeting this week.

"I think it's a great way to help our veterans that are trying to integrate or find services they didn't know they had," said Commissioner Brad Jewett. "Most of them come back and they're kind of lost for a while, so I think it's a great idea to see what kind of results we can generate with this mobile unit."

The cost of the mobile service unit is about $150,000, with Veterans Affairs making a $60,000 down payment on the vehicle. It will arrive in about six months.

The agency is hoping to use state grant money available from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to pay the difference, though Roof said there is money in the local agency's fund balance to pay for the entire vehicle if needed.

State grant money is also available to pay salary and benefits for an outreach employee to man the unit, Roof said.

An employee who now does outreach for the agency will likely be moved into that position to begin with, Roof said. Another employee could be added later if the need is there, he said.

Operation of the local Veterans Affairs agency at 2650 Lafranier Road is funded by a 6-year millage that is up for renewal in 2022. The tax rate was originally set at .012 mills that brought in $630,000 per year.

Roof said the millage rate was lowered in 2019 to bring in $480,000 annually, as not all of the money that was collected by the tax was needed to run the department.

The renewal rate requested next year will likely be somewhere between those two amounts, he said.

The unit is being purchased from Farber Specialty Vehicles, an Ohio-based company that specializes in outfitting emergency response vehicles, bloodmobiles, mobile testing labs, traveling libraries and more.

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