Covering PUGET SOUND NAVAL NEWS for BREMERTON | BANGOR | KEYPORT
Navy News Kitsap
Volume 1, No. 51 | 16 March 2012
www.kitsapnavynews.com
NBH Corpsman honored in Red Cross
BREMERTON (NNS) – A hospital corpsman from Naval Hospital Bremerton was recognized by the American Red Cross serving King and Kitsap Counties as their recipient of the 2011 Military award March 1. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Marvin Belanio was honored for his life-saving efforts at rendering emergency first aid on an airline flight at the 13th Annual Real Heroes Breakfast that drew a packed-crowd of civic and community leaders. “I’m surprised and humbled by being recognized for doing something that any corpsman would have done in such a situation,” said Belanio, Leading Petty Officer for NHB’s Bio Medical Repair division.
SEE corpsman | PAGE 7
Port Orchard resident Glover “Leon” Ashlock leans against a few tons of wood pellets stored in his garage. The stove fuel was bought with aid funds from the Kitsap County Veterans Assistance program. Greg Skinner/staff photo
County cuts veteran aid 25 percent as need grows By Greg Skinner
gskinner@soundpublishing.com
Military veterans living near the edge of financial ruin in Kitsap County now have access to less aid following the Board of County Commissioners’ vote last week to reduce individual payouts. The maximum amount of aid per veteran per year was reduced to $900 from $1,200 in a 2-0 vote by Commissioners Josh Brown and Robert Gelder. With the county burning through funds at about $30,000 per month under the former guidelines which allowed up to $1,200 per year in aid per qualifying veteran. The reduction, which went in to effect immediately, was made as county leaders work to stave off raising taxes, or running out of money based on the current tax rate – the only other options considered. Gelder said that the overall amount to aid the veterans in need was less this year, when compared to previous years, because it’s part of the general operating budget
and nearly every departmental budget was reduced. Without the reduction in payouts, the fund would not make it through the year, Gelder said. “[The fund] would run out by fall,” he said. Leif Bentsen, human services planner Kitsap County Veterans Assistance Program, said there was no other choice. “[Now,] we’re hoping we’ll still have money to give to a veteran at Christmas time,” he said. The levy is collected at a range of 1 1/8 cents to 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The current levy rate is 1 1/8 cents per thousand and there is no sign the collection rate will increase. The veterans assistance fund dispersed $357,000 in tax collections to veterans in need throughout 2011. The county set aside $261,000 for 2012, citing a “declining fund balance.” They hope to end the year with $254,000 to pay for the first few months of 2013 and leave a bank account balance. During the February regular meeting of
the county’s veterans advisory board, the board members voted to forward a reduced aid schedule to county leadership for approval. With the numbers of veterans in need climbing in relation to the continued bad economy. On Feb. 22, a Senate Bill in the state Legislature sought to separate the constitutionally mandated veteran’s aid tax collection from its ties to the county general fund, allowing make flexible adjustments to the collection rate without a vote. Kitsap County Commissioners joined others around the state supporting the bill, which would have gone into law in 2013. Most agreed it would help veterans. Going forward this year, veterans seeking aid from the Veteran’s Advisory Board will see the maximum allowable aid to drop to $900 almost immediately. Some service such as car repair will drop to $500 and mortgage assistance was dropped completely.
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this Edition New drug testing.....pg. 2 Navy News steps aside, for Veterans Life...........pg. 4 New round of base closings discussed...............pg. 5 Pentagon condemns shooting rampage ................pg. 6