WOODVILLE – The Tyler County Veterans Service Office is hosting a meeting on the topic of taxes.
With tax season among us, it is essential that our veteran population know of some of the helpful services available, said Tina Cleberg, the county’s veterans service officer.
Cleberg said there are a lot of “nuances that will be a little bit helpful,” which will be presented.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. until noon inside the Veterans Service Office, which is located at the Nutrition Center, located at 201 Veterans Way, Suite 200, in Woodville. Cleberg said the meeting will take place in the back kitchen area.
There will be two guest speakers, Cleberg said. Melissa Carson, the county’s tax appraiser, will be speaking, and another speaker, to be confirmed.
Along with tax topics, some other items might be discussed. Martha Kimbrough, who works with the VSO, said one topic that has come up a lot recently is community care for veterans.
Kimbrough said that veterans under VA care can see local providers, but they first have to go through their VA primary care physician to get a referral. “They need to know this, that they need to have a referral first,” Kimbrough said.
She mentioned that travel reimbursements are also available for veterans who provide their own transportation to and from visits to VA facilities. The forms are available from the VSO, but must be filed within 30 days of the visit.
She said that there have been many questions, also, from veterans about educational benefits for their children, and that topic might be addressed.
Under the Hazlewood Act, which Kimbrough mentioned, for Texas veterans, qualified vets, spouses and dependent children are provided with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition exemption at public institutions of higher education throughout the state, according to the Texas Veterans Commission website.
Cleberg encouraged any veterans to attend the meeting, but also any who might not utilize the VSO’s services to call or visit. The office can be reached by phone at 409-283-3751, or 409-283-2493 for VA van scheduling, and by email at veterans@co.tyler.tx.us.
