By Temple A. Stark
Clallam County has formally taken control of the distribution of emergency funds for local veterans.
County commissioners approved the creation of the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and adopted a veterans relief fund policy during a meeting Tuesday in Port Angeles.
The committee and fund were created to address what veterans and county officials said were past abuses.
Terry Roth, Clallam County Veterans Association past president, worked with County Administrator Dan Engelbertson on the issues.
According to Roth, nobody was keeping track of the number of times local veterans collected money or how much they received.
For example, Roth said, one group of veterans living together in an apartment each tried to collect funds because they were evicted after not paying rent.
Another veteran was bringing other veterans forward and collecting a commission from them, Roth said.
“This puts a cap on how much a person can get,” Roth said.
Money for the veterans relief fund is collected as an 18 cent per $1,000 valuation assessment on all property as a provision of the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act.
Roughly $340,000 is allocated to the state for annual distribution, with the county budgeting $35,000 this year.
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