The Overton County Commission voted Monday night to restructure the membership and duties of the Veterans Committee.
The decision followed extensive public testimony from local veterans and service organizations.The approved resolution restructures the committee to include voting representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Honor Guard. Adjutant for the VFW Ronald Connor said the change creates a formal structure where the county and veteran organizations can coordinate resources at the same table.
“We cannot build a sustainable system around whoever happens to be willing or whoever happens to be willing to answer the phone at that time,” Connor said. “It cannot depend on me, it cannot depend on our VSO, it cannot be whoever’s next in line at the VFW, the Legion.”
Overton County Executive Austin Dodson said the resolution directly addresses the specific changes requested by the veteran community during the meeting. Dodson said the measure amends the committee’s membership structure and appointment process to ensure local service groups have a formal role.
“This is the resolution that the veterans in our community had brought up tonight,” Dodson said. “So this is it. This is what they wanted.”
Connor said the committee should be responsible for identifying the needs of local veterans and making formal recommendations to the county.
“I want us to know what resources are available, I want us to know who to call, I want the organizations that serve veterans to know each other,” Connor said. “I want us to document what works. And I want people who come after us to inherit something better than we inherited.”
American Legion Auxiliary President Jennifer Brown said the organizations involved already serve hundreds of families and understand the challenges veterans face with healthcare, housing, and benefits. Brown said including these groups as voting members provides the committee with boots-on-the-ground knowledge.
“Representation creates collaboration creates better decisions, and better decisions create better outcomes for the men and women who wore our nation’s uniform,” Brown said. “As a Gold Star mother, I can tell you that the veterans issues are not abstract policy discussions. They affect real people, real families and real lives.”
American Legion Post Commander Ken Werner said the county has lacked the necessary infrastructure to prevent veterans from falling through the cracks. Werner said veterans are often frustrated by being told to call multiple different numbers when they are in crisis.
“We want something, we want resources that we can go to for a veteran as a one-stop-shop,” Werner said. “Everything under one roof type of thing.”
In other news, the commission approved a new 25 mph speed limit for Fisk Cemetery Road and designated three other roads for emergency purposes only. These roads include Makers Way Lane, Farmer Brown Lane, and Spider Lane. Dodson said the road changes received prior approval from the Highway Department and the county EMS director.