Yesterday, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors authorized the adoption of an ordinance to create a Veterans Advisory Commission for Sacramento County. The Commission will be composed of five veterans appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with one nominee from each Supervisor. Its purpose will be to advise the Board and County staff on matters pertaining to veterans in Sacramento County. Terms will be two years, with a limit of no more than four consecutive years serving on the Commission.
The Commission will work with the County Veterans Services Office to provide an annual report to the Board of Supervisors on issues pertaining to veterans in Sacramento County. There is no cost associated with creating this commission, but it will greatly benefit the veteran population of Sacramento County.
There are more than 87,000 veterans living in the County. Many veterans come to Sacramento County for services, such as assistance with veterans benefits, employment and training, cash assistance, housing, behavioral health, and business assistance. There are also many veteran's groups and representatives that work with the County, through Board of Supervisor offices and the County Veterans Services Office, but there is no formal and central body that focuses the County’s attention on the variety of issues pertaining to veterans.
The creation of such a commission assumes it operates under the following parameters:
Purpose - The Commission would represent all veterans in Sacramento County by advising the Board of Supervisors and County staff on matters pertaining to veterans, holding informal public meetings, providing the public with information, and receiving comments relative to veterans’ issues.
Membership – The Commission would be composed of five members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with one nomination by each Supervisor. At the time of appointment, members would have to be:
Residents of Sacramento County;
Military veterans who served any length of time in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard (operating under the War Department, Navy Department or Department of Defense), and;
Discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
Terms – Terms for an individual commissioner would be two years, with a limit of four consecutive years of service on the Commission (two terms). Former members of the Commission who have termed out may be reappointed to a vacant seat if two years have passed since the expiration of their final term.
Sacramento County Veteran Services’ mission statement is “You served us. Now let us serve you.” The creation of this commission is yet another method of faithfully serving those that have served us.
For more information about the Sacramento County Veterans Services office, visit their website.
