New state law helps disabled vets

Lake County disabled veterans owe a vote of thanks to Sen. Terry Link and Rep. Rita Mayfield for the sponsorship of Senate Bill 107, which expanded the Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption.

The bill will allow veterans with service-connected disabilities exceeding 70 percent to be exempt from real estate taxes, those with a disability of 50-60 percent to have $5,000 off the assessed value of their home and those with 30-40 percent to have $2,500 off the assessed value.

The exemption will assist over 2,000 disabled veterans in Lake County. Link and Mayfield will be honored at a dinner at the Midlane Country Club, Wadsworth, Sept. 25, following the Al Lynch Swinging With the Vets golf outing.

Representatives from the Veterans Assistance Commission, American Legion, VFW, DAV and MOAA will be making presentations.

Lake County has 35,000 veterans with over 4,500 receiving disability compensation from the VA totaling $92 million annually. The total compensation includes DIC - Dependents Indemnity Compensation - for the surviving spouse.

Our veterans population has gone down, but the number of surviving spouses we are assisting has grown. The Link-Mayfield bill, now Public Act 99-0375, would also include surviving spouses if they were receiving the disabled veterans exemption at the time of the veteran's death and then renewed annually.

Michael Peck, Superintendent

Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County