Erath County Veterans’ Service Office (Josh Smith, Veteran Services Officer)

The office. The county's Veteran Services page (as the Internet Archive captured it on September 16, 2026; the live site blocks automated reads): Josh Smith, Veteran Services Officer, 100 W Washington St, Stephenville, TX 76401; phone 254-965-1443, fax 254-965-4972; [email protected]. "Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00am - 3:00pm. Walk-ins are always welcome, however, we often visit home-bound Veterans so we encourage you to call our office first so we can reserve personal time for you. We are located on the first floor, West side of the Erath County Courthouse, Room 111." A wheelchair user can park at the ramp on the south side and call, and the office will come out to help. "The County Veterans' Service Officer is appointed by the County Commissioners Court to serve Erath County veterans and their families." What it does. The page promises "free, timely and accurate advice and information" and lists aid and attendance, burial, appeals, death and widow's pension, debt waivers, DIC, disability compensation, discharge upgrades, education, health care, home loans, housebound, insurance and non-service-connected pension claims; obtaining discharge documents, military medical records and medals; the property tax exemption for disabled veterans and other State benefits (see the Texas entries); and veterans homes. How the county funds it. The office is General Fund department 010-405, "Veterans' Services". The FY2025-26 budget report in the February 23, 2026 packet shows $47,620 budgeted, $35,500 of it part-time pay, with $2,500 for continuing education, $1,200 for an equipment lease, $1,000 for supplies and $500 each for telephone and mileage. The FY2026-27 budget could not be read (see the header). On November 10, 2025 the Court approved department-head job descriptions, assigning Veterans Services to the Precinct 4 commissioner (see the board entry).