Management and Performance Review of County Government ...

Executive Summary
provide enough funding to make the present facility viable. If they choose the latter
option, they should aggressively seek grants and private donations.
Jefferson County’s Veterans Service Office (VSO) provides assistance to veterans
and their widows, widowers and children from one office in the county courthouse and a
satellite office in Port Arthur. VSO is staffed by a veterans service officer, one office
supervisor and two office specialists, and on occasion a part-time work-study student.
The VSO’s workload has increased in recent years, even though the county’s estimated
number of veterans is falling.
VSO’s current office in the county courthouse should be relocated to allow better
access for veterans and adequate working space for staff and storage. The Port Arthur
office should be closed and a satellite office opened in the Port Arthur Health and
Welfare Building. This could be open for two or three days a week and staffed by two
employees. On the remaining days, one or two VSO employees should set up a satellite
office at places likely to have veterans, such as the VA’s Beaumont Clinic.
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