Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau

The Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau "provides numerous services to veterans, widows and families of veterans. Services include initiating and filing veterans claims with both the state and federal government, filing for death benefits, filing for burial benefits and filing for other entitlements. The Veterans Service Bureau also facilitates transportation to V.A. medical centers, and serves as a referral source for mental health, medical and social service agencies." Its FAQ states "there is no charge for any of our services," and that its officers are accredited through the National Association of Veterans Service Officers. Where to file. Ocean County Resource Center, 1005 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754-2191, (732) 929-2096, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; satellite office at the Southern Ocean County Resource Center, 179 South Main Street, Room 5, Manahawkin, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Commissioner Robert S. Arace is the bureau's liaison. The 2026 county budget appropriates $759,152 in salaries and wages and $225,108 in other expenses to the bureau. Its own department since February 2026. On February 11, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners adopted Official Resolution 2026000179, whose operative clause reads "Effective February 12, 2026, the Veterans Affairs Bureau is hereby reestablished as a separate County department," with the county's Veterans Service Officer responsible for supervision, budget and facilities; the roll call was Sadeghi, Bacchione, Arace and Gormley aye, Ellenbogen absent. The move out of Human Services reverses the year's first reorganization: on October 15, 2025 the Board adopted Official Resolution 2025001501, "Effective October 16, 2025, the Department of Veterans Services is hereby eliminated, and the operations of Veterans Services is hereby moved/transferred to, and shall become a Division of, the Department of Human Services" - both adoptions read in the OCR'd minutes. The board also contracted with Vetgroup, Inc. for veteran consultant services for 2026 at not to exceed $209,000 (PP2025-123, introduced and adopted December 17, 2025, per the minutes), and on May 6, 2026 adopted Official Resolution 2026000540, a memorandum of understanding with Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity "ensuring that veterans served by Habitat have access to accredited VA benefits counseling services," effective April 15, 2026 through March 1, 2027. The cemetery is not the county's. The bureau is "the center for information regarding ... Pre-Registration to Veterans Memorial Cemetery" - the BG William C. Doyle Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, which is state-run under the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Ocean County runs no veterans cemetery of its own; its own burial money is the budget line "5062 War Veterans Burial & Grave Decoration," $58,500 in other expenses in the 2026 budget adopted by the Organization Meeting of January 7, 2026.