County To Give $75 Monthly Grant To Those In Combat Zones

Highlands County residents serving in the military will get a $75 grant from county government for every month of duty in a combat zone.

County commissioners approved launching this aid program for military personnel in a 3-2 vote Tuesday.

Commissioners Guy Maxcy, Don Bates and Edgar Stokes voted for the measure, while Commissioners Barbara Stewart and Jeff Carlson voted against it.

Thor Rothman, a military veteran from Lake Placid, supported establishing this grant program for county residents sent into combat areas.

"The only segment of the population that is making any sacrifice in fighting the two wars we are in are the active military and their families," he said.

Carlson said he supports American troops but couldn't support this grant program because he didn't get a satisfactory answer to his question, "Where is the money going to come from?"

With county tax revenues declining, he said, "to increase spending at this time is something I don't think we can do."

"On the one hand, we reduced revenue by $109,000 today," Carlton said, referring to the commissioners raising the low-income senior homeowners exemption. "And on the other hand, we could be increasing (spending) by $67,000."

The $67,000 figure he referred to came from the county's estimate that about 75 members of the National Guard had been called up locally within the past year. It was not known, though, how many of those troops would qualify for the combat-zone grant.

"As most of you know," Stewart said, "our son has served two tours of duty in the Mid East." The community needs to show support for the troops, she said, but added, "I'm not sure if that (county grant) is the best way to show it."

Stewart said she opposed the combat-zone duty grant because no information was presented on how the grant would aid military personnel.

"I believe that we already show our support for the troops in many ways, including financial," she said.

Stokes said he voted for the combat-zone monthly grant because, "I think in a small way, we need to do what we can."