Veterans office defended
Despite a high turnover rate for directors in the Fayette County Veterans Affairs office, the Fayette County commissioners say the office is adequately funded, staffed and equipped. The recent departure of director Floyd “Wayne” Coddington after only eight months drew an outcry from veterans who were concerned about why six directors have left the position in the last several years.
In response to the concerns, the three commissioners recently met with members of the Fayette County veterans liaison committee to outline key facts about the office.
The commissioners have said they will work with the liaison committee to select the next director, as has been past practice.
“Making that office the best it can be is a top priority. Veterans are special people who deserve our 100 percent support in any way we can help them for what they’ve done for us by protecting America,” said Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites.
While some of the directors who have quit over the years have complained about the low pay, the annual salary of the position – $30,166 – is only slightly less than the $31,000 salary of the Washington County veterans affairs director and is more than the $25,000 annual salary of the neighboring Greene County VA director, according to information provided by Vicites.
In Cambria County, the VA director is a part-time position. In Westmoreland County, the salary is $34,467 and in Beaver County the salary is $37,500.
Vicites said the salary was at $25,000 a few years ago, but it was raised to make it more competitive.
Fayette County also received approximately $2.227 million in claims during the 2008/09 fiscal year for the 14,004 veterans in the county. That figure is more than Washington County, which received $1.8 million in claims for the county’s 19,157 veterans during the same time frame.
Beaver County, which received slightly more benefits with $2.277 million, has 18,414 veterans.
Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said Fayette County has the second highest claims in the area.
“Our office is productive,” Zapotosky said.
Vicites added that all the claims through the county office are current and there isn’t a backlog.
“Our office is providing good solid results,” Zapotosky said.
Vicites said the county office has more than doubled the amount of claims for county veterans since 2006, when $1 million in claims were received.
The VA office includes five full-time positions. In addition to a director, claims officer and secretary, two full-time drivers work for the office.
Other counties have fewer employees and do not provide transportation services for veterans. The county VA office budget for 2009 is $279,724. Only the Beaver office has a higher budget with $291,677. However, Beaver only has two full-time employees.
Washington County’s office budget is $200,000 and includes one full-time and one part-time employee. Westmoreland County’s budget is $270,000 and the office includes three full-time employees.
During the recent meeting with the liaison committee, the commissioners outlined key improvements that have been made to the office over the past few years. The improvements include taking over the transportation for veterans from Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation in 2001.
The office now has one van and one mini-bus to transport veterans to medical appointments.
“We’ve improved transportation,” Vicites said.
The full-time secretary position in the office was added in 2006 and the Veteran
Information Management System
(VIMS
) electronic computer program was added to all computers in 2006 with a cost of $3,000 and a $700 annual maintenance fee.
Vicites said the VIMS program upgraded the computers and allowed the staff to electronically submit claims.
Vicites said other improvements include new computer systems that were purchased in 2007 for all three stations; an upgraded copy machine and upgraded phone systems which added separate lines for transportation calls and faxing.
The VA office moved from an office on the third floor of the courthouse to the public service building in 2005, which provides better parking access and handicap accessibility.
Also, a veteran’s clinic is now located in the county.
Zapotosky said at the meeting with the liasion committee, there was talk about the hiring process and additional outreach.
“We realized we have some work to do,” Zapotosky said. “Everybody’s objective is to help veterans. It isn’t about politics. It’s about doing what’s right.”
The hiring process is now underway and will again include the liasion committee sitting through interviews. In the past the liasion committee has made a recommendation about who to hire for the position, and that person has been tapped for the post in the last several instances.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who hasn’t always agreed with the selection of the liaison committee but has supported any director that was hired, said the commissioners have always been willing to meet with the liaison committee at the committee’s request. She said from now on meetings would be held every other month, at the request of the committee.
Zimmerlink, who was the first to call for posting the director’s position after Coddington’s resignation, said the commissioners have always had the option of participating in the interview process.
She said depending on how many candidates are interviewed out of the 30 or so that have applied this time around, she may or may not sit in on interviews.
“We have Felice Associates that we pay $122,000 a year for human resource services to sift through the applications,” Zimmerlink said.
Zapotosky and Vicites said they plan to sit in on interviews throughout the process.
Coddington left the county in August but the commissioners postponed hiring a replacement initially to review the salary and job description and then imposed a hiring freeze pending resolution of the state budget. The decision to move forward with hiring a new director was made in late September.