Oney, who is preparing to interview candidates for the open VFW seat on the commission, said things have gotten light-years better at the little office on the side of the Government Services Building.
“I haven’t had any complaints come piling in on my lap like I have in the past,” Oney said. “I’m not getting complaints about this one’s doing this, and this one’s doing that, and that one hurt my feelings. Their job is to do what is necessary in front of them; do what’s right for the veterans.
“We had a lot of animosity with the last board and the board before that. They went out of their way to yell at other people, to criticize anything they said. It became very dysfunctional. As far as I know I haven’t had anyone come up crying on my shoulder. They seem to be getting along together better,” she said.
The commissioner terms on the Veterans Service Commission rotate annually with each commissioner serving five years. It is Commissioner Bob Perry’s turn this year. However, the judge in the past year has had to make more than the usual single appointment and has gone through an arduous process, first when the service organizations cried foul when Tom Stamper was reappointed and next when Southard abruptly resigned last summer.
The first appointment of the year was for Stamper’s open seat and it was fraught with missteps. The judges voted 7-5 — the whole court used to pick the vet board members, now the duty falls to Oney alone — to reappoint Stamper in December, but when the Hamilton post complained he wasn’t “recommended” a do-over was ordered.
Oney sent a letter to the three American Legion Posts posts in September. In the notifications, Oney left out the requirement that each post was to send in three names — no more and no less — for consideration in accordance with the law.
After she received four names — Stamper turned in his own application — and no formal recommendation from Hamilton and two from West Chester, she rescinded Stamper’s reappointment and ordered the do-over. Current board President Tom Jeffers was ultimately named.
When former board president Fred Southard quit, it was determined since he had occupied the at-large seat on the board all of the posts in the county would be invited to submit names. She received 18 names and finally chose Chuck Weber in August.
Oney told the three VFW posts in Fairfield, Overpeck and West Chester Twp she wanted the nominees in by Nov. 16. As of late last week Perry, Ron Dzikowski and David Smith of the West Chester post were recommended. The Fairfield post had not submitted names and the Overpeck post said they wouldn’t be turning in any recommendations.
Senior Vice Commander Dave Combs at the Overpeck post said he tried to get some takers.
“Either they’re in their upper 80s or some of the younger vets, a couple of them they got families and other jobs,” he said. Ain’t nobody interested. I brought it up twice at the meetings but nobody would raise their hands.”
Oney says she doesn’t feel she needs to ferret out potential personality clashes anymore and can concentrate on picking the best person who can help the veterans. She plans to interview all of the potential candidates after the deadline passes and make her decision as quickly as possible.
Oney isn’t the only one who has noticed the transformation on the board. It used to be Stamper and commissioners Ken Smith and Lowell Stewart pitted against Perry and former commissioner Danny Biondo.
For example, back in January 2014, at the height of discord on the board Stewart set the tone for the meeting by making a motion to ban Chief Service Officer Matt Jones from the meetings because “he’s on the other side.”
“We’ve had some problems here among ourselves… we’ve had different opinions, and it’s not ending, and it’s not going to end,” Stewart said. “I don’t think Matt should be allowed to sit in our meetings anymore since we’re having problems.”
Today, after agreeing to a travel policy, salary study and marketing plan, Stewart refuses to engage in bashing people from the past and says he is happy the old days and ways are over.
“It’s changed a lot, and I’m very pleased we’re not arguing and stuff like that anymore,” he said. “I’m happy with the way it’s going. We all get along good, not like before.”
Perry, who has been on the board for 10 years, agreed with Stewart and said he doesn’t dread going to meetings anymore.
“It’s fun going to the meetings again,” he said. “For three years it has not been a great joy to attend those meetings. But now we talk to each other.”
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