Springfield, Ill. (ECWd) –
UPDATE: Edited to replace “Champaign County” with “Sangamon County”
According to the Veterans Assistance Commission of Sangamon County, this is what lead up to the VAC filing suit against the county:
- the Veterans Assistance Commission of Sangamon County (VACSC) submitted its certified budget to the County for Fiscal Year 2025.
- the County Board adopted its own budget for the VACSC, which was approximately $200,000 less than what the Commission approved.
Instead of approving the budget the VAC approved, which the county was required to approve, Sangamon County approved its own budget for the VAC which was around $200,000 less than the budget approved by the Commission.
This put the VAC in the position of lacking the funding it deemed necessary to complete its mission for the remainder of this fiscal year.
It has been described in Sangamon County as “two different interpretation of the law.” Watch the WCIA report HERE.
The Illinois Military Veterans Assistance Act was recently amended to mandate funding for county Veterans Assistance Commissions (“VAC”) by each county through a tax levy or other means.
Section 2(1) of the Act states, in part: . . . the county board shall provide such sums of money as may be just and necessary to be drawn by the commander, quartermaster or commandant of any veterans service organization, in the city or town, or the superintendent of any Veterans’ Assistance Commission of the county, upon the recommendation of the assistance committee of that veterans service organization or Veterans’ Assistance Commission.
Funds can be provided from three sources, a tax levy, county general funds, and state funds from the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Section 5-2006 of the Counties Code provides the authority for a county wishing to levy a tax of no more than .03%, or .04% if a referendum approves it.
Section 2(2) of the Act requires the VAC or its Superintendent to file suit in circuit court seeking Mandamus against a county for refusing to provide the requested funds as determined by the county VAC.
Sections 10(e), (f), and (g) list requirements of counties as it relates to funding and services to its VAC. Which include providing offices space and all equipment and services related to it, providing all Commission employees with benefits also provided to County employees, and providing the funding approved by the Commission including payroll funding and expenses.
Section 11 of the Act restrict counties from acting in a manner inconsistent with the Act.
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