Establishment of veterans service offices

(1) The board of county commissioners of each county in this state shall establish a county veterans service office and shall appoint a county veterans service officer for the county to further prompt and efficient service to all veterans in the state of Colorado on a uniform basis. If the board of county commissioners determines that additional county veterans service officers are necessary, the board may authorize the appointed county veterans service officer to hire additional county veterans service officers. A board of county commissioners may also authorize the appointed county veterans service officer to hire any staff as the board determines necessary at a rate of compensation as fixed by the board, together with the necessary and actual traveling and other expenses incurred in their work as approved by the board of county commissioners and other expenses as the board deems necessary for the proper operation of the office, payable monthly out of the county general fund in the manner provided by law. The board of county commissioners, in its discretion, may authorize the appointed county veterans service officer to hire any county officer, official, or employee as a county veterans service officer, if qualified to serve pursuant to the provisions of section 28-5-802, at a rate of additional compensation for additional duties as fixed by the board of county commissioners. (2) The boards of county commissioners of adjacent counties may act jointly in establishing a veterans service office for such counties and in appointing a veterans service officer, authorizing the hiring of additional county veterans service officers, and authorizing the hiring of staff as determined necessary to operate an office for the counties, at a rate of compensation as fixed by the boards of county commissioners joining in the appointment or authorized hire of an officer or authorized hire of staff, together with the actual and necessary expenses incurred in their work, as approved by the boards of county commissioners. The salaries, expenses, and all other jointly approved expenses necessary for the proper operation of the office must be paid by the boards of county commissioners out of their respective county general funds in the manner provided by law, each county bearing its share in the proportion that the population of each county bears to the total population of the counties combining to establish the office.