Marquette County Department of Veterans Affairs

Michigan counties run veterans affairs departments under Michigan Compiled Laws 35.601 to 35.622, and the department's service officers help veterans and survivors with VA and State claims; see the Michigan entries. Marquette County's Department of Veterans Affairs page names Diana Dost, Director and VSO; Faith Ackland, VSO; and Sherri Stewart, Clerical Assistant, at 215 West Hematite Dr., Ishpeming, Michigan 49849, phone (906) 485-1996, emails [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]. The page posts "AS OF JUNE 22, 2026, OUR OFFICE WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING WALK-INS. PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT": appointments are required, the office takes no walk-ins. What the department does, from Director Dost's April 14, 2026 report to the Board of Commissioners: Marquette County has approximately 4,800 veterans, of whom the office serves about 1,500. The office assists with disability claims, appeals, burial and survivor benefits, health care enrollment and transportation (free of cost to the veterans). Last year it filed 349 new claims and 172 appeals; in 2026 to that date, 71 new claims and 151 appeals. She credited the PACT Act of 2022 with bringing in veterans who had never filed before, noted the DAV transportation programme's shortage of volunteer drivers, and asked for more public outreach once the office is fully staffed. Funding. The FY 2027 recommended budget is $586,329 for current services and programs, with a new 1 FTE Veterans Benefits Counselor (about $100,000) funded by the veterans millage approved in August 2026, and a $10,000 General Fund with $20,000 Veterans Affairs transfer to the Soldier Sailor Relief Fund (Board of Commissioners minutes of September 14, 2026). The office also runs the county committee of the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (its own entry) and names a Marquette County Veteran of the Year from an application form on its page.