Lincoln County will ask voters in November for a five-year-levy to raise funds for veteran services.
The county's Veterans Services Director Keith Barnes said his office serves more than 5,000 veterans and their families with just a handful of employees.
Barnes said many veterans in Lincoln County are eligible for healthcare, stipends, and other potentially life changing benefits, but it's challenging for the county's current staff to reach them in rural areas, or at community events.
“Not every veteran knows that they are eligible for services,” Barnes said. “A lot of times when you have a veteran who didn’t serve in war, they don’t understand that they still can receive services from the VA.”
Barnes said when staff are able to make it to community events, they often are successful at connecting veterans with services. He said at one recent visit to Waldport, he was able to help a Vietnam veteran with health challenges get healthcare and disability benefits.
“It’s going to change his life,” Barnes said.
Barnes said the county would use levy funds to hire an outreach coordinator and shore up existing services amidst federal funding uncertainty. The levy, $0.035 per $1,000 of assessed value, would cost the average Lincoln County household around $10 a year.
If the levy passes in November, Lincoln County would begin collecting it in 2026.
