Ross County — The commissioners heard two sides on senior citizens facilities in Ross County, after COVID disrupted services 4 1/2 years ago.
It was pointed out in the July 28th commissioners session that public senior citizens services are managed by the Ross County Committee for Elderly. The committee operates the senior center on Western Avenue in Chillicothe, but other senior citizen centers may be variously independent. COVID closures and shifting of funding disrupted all that.
In the meeting, Adelphi and Bainbridge seniors complained that they want better services from the committee. But the executive director and board members of the committee said they have been supplying other services, have guidelines to re-establish senior centers outside of Chillicothe…but have also been dealing with funding challenges this year.
The only operating senior center outside of Chillicothe, in Londonderry, is managed by the committee and operated by volunteers. Centers in Frankfort and Kingston had closed before COVID.
Elizabeth Speirs, volunteer at the Adelphi senior citizen center (and administrator for the village of Adelphi), largely led the 75-minute discussion before the commissioners. She says they have a monthly luncheon funded by Logan Elm Health Care of Pickaway County.
Four member of the Ross Committee for Elderly, with executive director Jodi Hogan speaking, explained the post-COVID situation of the county senior citizen services. Hogan said it took two and a half years “to get the ball rolling” after COVID.
She says they are serving all 16 Ross County townships with some type of service to help keep seniors in their home and independent longer, including delivered meals, transportation, and personal care.
That may not include “congregate sites” where they can gather, like the ones in Adelphi and Bainbridge. Hogan said the committee wants to make sure service is consistent, like the site they already opened and currently operate in Londonderry.
Hogan shared a list of conditions her board had discussed that they want before they can resume “satellite” services in Adelphi and Bainbridge. Speirs said they have met that in Adelphi, except for having a director there.
Hogan also said they had a holdup on tax funds, when the Ross County Auditor held back about $300,000 from the 0.3 mil levy from Feb until the previous week. She said they almost ran out of money, and had to get a bridge load from a bank. (See the auditor’s statement below.)
Hogan also said that after getting extra funds during COVID, they were notified they were getting a 55% cut of federal funds this year.
She also pointed out that the committee must deal with regulations from the state Area Agency on Aging, the Ross County Health District, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The commissioners asked both sides to return to them on August 18th to work towards a resolution.
(The commissioners held a short ceremonial meeting at the Ross County Fair on August 4th, instead of a regular meeting.)
I requested a statement from Jeff Lehner, Ross County Auditor, about the holdup of funds. He provided this:
“Commissioners Lowe and Everson have been aware since last year that the County does not have a contract with the Senior Center to manage the 2015 levy funds. I notified the Commissioners back in March that until a contract to that effect was adopted or an authorizing resolution passed, 2015 levy funds would not be distributed as a matter of ensuring proper checks and balances and oversight of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. Once the Commissioners finally took appropriate action, I issued payment literally same day.
“The Ross County Commissioners are responsible for these funds as they are the County’s contracting authority and the decision as to whether senior citizen levies are presented to voters is theirs to make. Why they would choose not to take the most basic oversight steps regarding this money is a question only they can answer, especially in light of the Senior Center’s past problems and complaints received by seniors in outer areas of Ross County regarding how these funds are allocated.
“Ross Committee for the Elderly Inc. is not part of Ross County government. It is a private corporation not entitled to public funds. The Commissioners can make all of this right by taking basic, fundamental steps toward better local government. I hope they will.”
“Jeff Lehner
Auditor for Ross County, Ohio“
