Dickinson County to vote on Veteran’s Department

DICKINSON COUNTY– In the upcoming election Dickinson County will decide if it wants to pay for a county department that could help veterans get their benefits.

Residents of Dickinson County will be voting tomorrow if they want to levy a point–ten mill in order to create and maintain a county Department of Veterans Affairs.

There is currently a non–county affiliated Office of Veterans Affairs in Dickson County funded by the county’s general fund. However, officials from that office say their budget has been cut and they may not be open next year without the millage.

The office helps veterans get their benefits quicker by ensuring that the necessary forms are filled out properly.

“I do it a lot, so I’m better at it then they might be, the difference being that if a veteran fills it on their own it could be a twenty–four month process for them if they do the forms wrong,” said Dickenson County Office of Veterans Affairs Director Mike Miller, “If they get the forms done correctly the first time it could be six to eight months.”

Currently the Office of Veterans Affairs in Dickson County is a non–profit, but will be a county agency if the mileage is passed. The millage hopes to raise $89,000 per year for the department.