Officials hope new federal law will help local municipality

Published 3:51 am Friday, August 10, 2012

By EJ Vernon
News-Aegis

 

n November 2011 President Obama signed the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act into law. Now Argo is looking at ways this legislation can help the city obtain funding to hire new employees for the city’s fire and police departments.
“It encourages us to try to hire veterans,” councilman Bill Leake said.
The act is an effort to make the transition from military to civilian life as smooth as possible. Veterans may qualify for additional education benefits, and unemployed veterans with a disability associated with time served may qualify for vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits. Through the act, tax credits and other incentives are available to employers who hire and train veterans.
Fire Chief Mike Platts says the act is directly tied to grant applications and could affect federal funding awarded to the city in the future.
The fire department is working on obtaining a personnel grant that provides two years of funding for a new employee.
“If we hire a veteran, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act will allow for funding for an additional third year,” Platts said. “There are multiple benefits involved in this.”
The city plans to draw up a resolution in support of the act for the next council meeting.
In other actions Monday night the council:
—Approved a loan payment to Metro Bank in the amount of $6,186,29 from the city’s seven-cent road fund.
—Approved a Certificate of Election electing Betty Bradley to Council Place 1 without opposition and a Certificate of Election electing Hershel Phillips to Council Place 4 without opposition.
—Approved the resignation of Betty Bradley from the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
—Approved the resignation of Bubba Bradley and Ann Brown from the Zoning Board.  The zoning board now has two vacancies to fill and will be accepting letters of interest until Tues. Sept. 4, noon.
—Announced the city’s Meet the Candidates forum for residents to meet candidates running for mayor and council seats.  The event will be held on Aug. 18 from 4-6 p.m. at Argo Christian Fellowship Church.