Anderson To Request Additional Veteran Services
By Space Coast Daily // February 15, 2015
will make request at next commission meeting
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Following last week’s budget workshop, Brevard County District 5 Commissioner Andy Anderson asked Ian Golden, Director of Housing and Human Services, to provide information regarding the increase in claims and other assistance needs in Brevard County’s Veterans Service Office.
Golden sent the information to Anderson, which indicated that the total client service, the best indicator of claims and other assistance since it includes the total number of contacts has steadily grown since 2010.
“Despite this trend, Brevard County has the lowest number of Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) per capita as compared to the total Veteran population in Brevard,” said Anderson.
“In contrast, Volusia county has 11,327 less veterans than Brevard, but they have three times the number of Veteran Service Officers, three Brevard VSOs to Volusia’s – nine.”
According to Golden, the cost for an additional full-time Veteran Service Officer is $47,387.
“By adding another VSO, Brevard County will be able to decrease wait times for the Veterans and their families and expand hours at the Viera office with the potential to offer services at satellite locations in Palm Bay and Titusville,” said Anderson.
Anderson will present the information and ask the commission to include an additional full-time employee for Veteran Services in next year’s budget.
He will ask for consideration of his budget request at next Tuesday’s Brevard County Commission meeting.
Anderson has been serving on the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners since 2008, representing areas of Melbourne, West Melbourne, Palm Bay, Indialantic and Melbourne Village.
