Veterans Services helps veterans and families get benefits owed them

ALBANY — Linn County Veterans Services helped local veterans and their families recover $1,655,043 in tax-free benefits from July 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, Director Dee Baley-Hyder told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning.

Veterans Services recovered $493,721 in the first quarter of 2024 and $460,783 in the first quarter of 2025.

Baley-Hyder said that the move into a new office at 505 SW Ellsworth, has helped increase foot traffic.

“A year ago, we reported that our office, over the years, has served 9,453 veterans and family members,” Baley-Hyder said. “As of today, our office has helped 9,774 people.”

She said her staff is “extremely busy” but encourages veterans to call or drop in to see what benefits they are entitled to.

Baley-Hyder said her department has used Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs grants to provide transportation for veterans to medical appointments. The grants total $91,370 and so far, $80,602 has been spent.

New assistant Veteran Services Officer Nate Larson has passed has Milestone Accreditation test and his ODVA accreditation test. He will soon complete full accreditation with Veterans Affairs. Once he is fully accredited, there will be three Veterans Services Officers on staff.

Baley-Hyder said the next Honor Flight will be on Thursday, April 24 and will begin on the north steps of the Linn County Courthouse at 1 p.m. with guest speakers. Local veterans will head for the Portland airport about 1:20 for their trip to see memorials in Washington, D.C.

“We are hoping for a big send-off and we would like for the community to come out and show our veterans how much they mean to us and support them on this trip,” Baley-Hyder said.

In other business, the Commissioners:

• Were informed by Planning & Building Director Steve Wills, that there were 59 land use permits issued in March. There were 292 total county building permits issued, including non-structural permits. There were 27 permits for dwellings, six for single family units and six for manufactured dwellings. Some 13 permits were issued for additions/alterations. Four commercial permits were issued and 40 permits required plan reviews. Sixteen code enforcement cases were closed in March and 13 new cases opened.
• Were told by Accounting Officer Bill Palmer that department heads and elected officials are tightly managing their budgets. He said the fiscal year is 75 percent over, but expenditures are only 62.3% for the General Fund (59.2% last year); 36.6% for the Road Fund (42.6% last year); 52.3% for the Law Enforcement Levy (53.8% last year); and 38.7% for the Health Fund (42.6% last year.)
• Approved a Construction Manager/General Contractor Method for remodeling of a portion of the 7^th Street Medical Building as the Linn County Crisis Stabilization Center.
• Announced that the 2025-26 Budget Hearings will be held from Monday, April 28 through Thursday, May 1, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center.

Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.