A recent article in Tuesday July 29th Bryan Times concerning - TopicsExpress

A recent article in Tuesday July 29th Bryan Times concerning County funding for Memorial Day events had many errors in it. First being Mary Oliver, as the Director of the Veterans Service Office, is not mandated by law to provide $7,200.00 for Memorial Day ceremonies. Ohio Revised Code 307.66 states “The board of county commissioners, annually, shall appropriate, and advance upon application” these funds. Not only does each of the County’s seven American Legion Posts, two VFW Posts, one DAV Chapter and one AMVETS Post each receive $500.00, but also several Civic or Patriotic organizations that represent “any posts (that) have become extinct or unable to attend to memorial day services, the appropriation by the board of county commissioners or the board of township trustees shall be made” to “any civic or patriotic organization willing and able to undertake and perform the work of commemoration and observance of memorial day”. Bringing the total number of organizations receiving funds to over fourteen, not nine as stated in the article. The article is correct in that most of this money is given to Boy Scout, Girl Scout, High School Bands and Guest Speakers as honorariums for their attendance. The law allows “Two or more separate veterans organizations, or two or more posts, garrisons, or naval branches of one or more veterans organizations, or both, may pool their entitlements to funds and submit a joint or consolidated statement of expenses.” This may be “a nightmare” from an accounting point of view, as expressed by one of the County Commissioners in the article, but it is the law. Another County Commissioner stated “several organizations exceeded their allotment”, if so, the organization that exceeds its allotment pays any expenses over the $500.00 allotment. Finally, the County Commissioners want each organization to submit receipts and vouchers along with a sworn statement, when the law states, “Each such organization receiving money from this appropriation shall file a sworn statement accounting for the complete expenditures of the funds with the board within sixty days after the memorial day for which the funds were provided.” Sworn Statements by Veterans have been sufficient for this purpose for over 100 years, but not anymore it seems. (Quotations taken from ORC 307.66) codes.ohio.gov/orc/307.66