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A group of local veterans spoke out during the public forum of the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday against cutting a part-time position in the Veterans Services Office that they say is critical in helping connect veterans with benefits.

The comments came as the county board considers its budget and levy for 2025.

Greg Sundholm, a Desert Storm veteran, said when he left active service in 1993, he had some health problems and none of the family doctors could figure out what was happening. It wasn’t until he connected with the Veterans Services Office, which connected him to the Veterans Affairs doctors, that he was able to find answers.

“I had no idea what was going on with me; family, local doctors didn’t — the VA did,” Sundholm said. “My gateway to the VA system was the VSO.”

He said the position in question has been consistent over several veterans services officers and has a wealth of knowledge that the individual has been passing down to a new veterans services benefit specialist.

Interim Administrator Darrell Pettis said the person in question retired earlier this year and is utilizing a Public Employees Retirement Association phased retirement option that is voluntary for the county to be a part of.

Through the program, if an employee meets certain requirements such as age and they take their PERA pension, they can return to the same position and work up to 1,040 hours per year.

This employee did retire and went on the phased retirement option, but unfortunately when this was done, Pettis said the board was not informed of what was done and there was not a date about how long the arrangement would be in place up to five years. The board has been struggling with how long the position will continue on.

A full-time individual has been hired in the employee’s old position, so now there are 2 1/2 employees, including the veterans services officer. The part-time position equates to just over $30,000, he said.

Jon Rhiger, a former veterans services officer for the county, asked that the office be exempt from cuts this round and said most people are not aware of the “bang for the buck” people are getting from the office. He referenced numerous reports and many different types of benefits the office helps with.

He served in the office for 37 1/2 years.

“Believe me, there is no fat to cut from that office,” Rhiger said.

Robert Sharp, a Vietnam War veteran and commander of the local VFW and DAV chapters, said the benefits the veterans utilize through the office were earned for their service.

“When we stood up in front of the flag and pledged our everything, including our lives, to protect this country — if you all remember they said, ‘We will take care of you,’” Sharp said. “But when we came back we found out what an effortless thought that was.”

He said the cuts would be a “slap in the face for the veterans in the community.”

Pettis on Friday said the board will review several end-of-year resolutions at its Dec. 17 meeting when it will ultimately decide what will take place with the budget.

He said the direction staff was given Tuesday after the workshop was that the employee be granted the full year of phased retirement, and prior to the end of that year, the board will review it again.