REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  February  28, 2023
CATEGORY:  Consent - General Government-5.

SUBJECT:

Approve two Fiscal Year 2022-23 California Department of Veterans Affairs Certificates of Compliance to allow the Veteran Services Officer to participate in the County Subvention and Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance Programs.

Supervisorial District No. :  All

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Troy D. Payne, Acting VSO, (530) 225-5616

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Troy Payne, Acting Veterans Services Officer

RECOMMENDATION

Approve two Fiscal Year 2022-23 California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) Certificates of Compliance to allow the Veteran Services Officer to participate in the County Subvention and Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance Programs.

DISCUSSION

The County Veteran Services Office (CVSO) continues to provide the highest quality of service to veterans and their families. The workload units for the CVSO are consistently amongst the highest in the state for like sized counties. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expenditures for compensation and pension awards within Shasta County exceeded 3 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022. The bulk of the awards granted by the VA are for disabled and low-income Veterans and their families. Participation in the Subvention and the Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance programs enhance the overall services provided by the CVSO and reduces expenditures associated with CalWORKs and other aid programs.

ALTERNATIVES

The only alternative would be to decline participation in the CalVet Subvention and Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance programs. However, to decline participation would eliminate CalVet funding for the CVSO.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

The Shasta County Auditor-Controller has certified to CalVet that Subvention funds have been exclusively expended for the operation of the CVSO. County Counsel has approved the two certificates of compliance agreements as to form. The County Administrative Office has reviewed the recommendation.

FISCAL IMPACT

The CalVet Subvention program, Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance program, and the County General Fund support the CVSO budget. Projected CalVet Subvention revenue in the amount of $170,000 is included in the CVSO's Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Adopted Budget. This is a conservative increase from $125,000 annually due to the statewide CalVET subvention allocation increasing from 5.5 million to 11 million in the FY 2021-22 state budget. In FY 2020-21 $142,000 was received and $179,000 is the projected receipt for FY 2021-22.