Vets Millage Vote Coming Up In GT County

Nov. 4, 2016

A millage to fund the Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs Office will be on the ballot this Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The county is asking for .12 mills to raise $563,000 per year for six years. The measure would cost the average county homeowner $.78 per month.

The office connects veterans with services and benefits available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. Currently, the department is funded through the county’s general fund.

The veterans who talked to the Express praised the county office and the work of its staff and executive director, Charles Lerchen.

Vietnam vet Larry Lelito said the department is crucial to the lives of veterans and deserves to be funded. Without the countylevel services that enable vets to navigate the larger, labyrinthine world of veterans benefits, Lelito believes many vets would be lost.

“Sometimes I still wake up and can’t believe that I get the benefits that I do. The health care. The pension. Everything. And it’s because of the veteran’s services at Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs Office,” Lelito said. “These people are first responders. They are unsung heroes. They don’t get enough credit for what they do.”