And Renovated Old Armory is Yet Another Option for Council Chambers
Chillicothe — A council committee voted to reduce city property taxes again to help with rising state taxes. And, yet another option for council chambers is opening: the renovated old armory in Yoctangee Park.
Chillicothe Council met at the Library Main Annex – since CHS auditorium was unavailable – on September 28th, 2026.
In his Finance Committee, Councilman Jeff Creed saw them vote to move a proposed ordinance out to council. Creed said that last year, when state property taxes went up, the city did a reduction of theirs by 15%. (The Ross County Commissioners have done the same.)
For this year’s tax bill – due in 2027 – the committee approved a 12% reduction. Creed said it will still be a slight increase from last year – $5 to $10 – but the city is trying to avoid a big increase while buffering this year’s burden from the state – a 29 to 30% increase across Ross County.
Would the city be losing tax revenue? Creed said yes, a couple hundred thousand dollars – but the burden would be on city residents, and council wanted to avoid letting it hit taxpayers all at once.
Videos of the three committee meetings and the main council session are available online, and I have links to all videos and key points in them in my previous story on the meeting. Video 2 covers the 6 1/2 minute Finance Committee meeting.
Creed also had council not vote on his ordinance to allow negotiations with the owner of the Foulke Block as possible new council chambers. The proposed ordinance was up for third and final reading and passage, but he said a new option had arisen: the old armory in Yoctangee Park that is being renovated.
1928 “Memorial Armory” is nearing completion, as is the rest of the park renovations, and the upstairs gymnasium has been turned into a ballroom and stage. Creed said council will visit to see if could meet their needs: council chambers, a room for executive sessions, and a clerk’s office.
He said it would be the most cost-effective choice since it is city-owned – they would just need to just set up / tear down twice a month. Creed pointed out that November 6th is the grand opening of the park and new facilities there.
He said this does still not preclude the city buying the Gazette Building, and that council is waiting for the auditor and administration to see what the city can afford.
Creed also said council council will return to old city hall – it’s just that they were meeting in different venues because they expected larger attendance because of the data center topic: Chillicothe High School Auditorium seats more than 400, and the Library Annex room held about 125 on Monday. Council’s chambers in old City Hall seats only 83.
Creed is running for Chillicothe mayor on the Republican ticket.
