Petitioners urge Ross County to end senior-center contract; commissioners say notice already sent
January 12, 2026 | Ross County, Ohio
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A coalition of township trustees, elected officials and senior citizens presented a formal petition on Jan. 12 asking the Ross County Board of Commissioners to terminate the management agreement by and between Ross County and the Ross County Committee for the Elderly (RCCE).
A representative reading the petition told the board the county senior-center operation "is operated and managed by the Ross County Committee for the Elderly Incorporated, a private entity" and that services now occur “solely in the city of Chillicothe” while satellite sites in Bainbridge and other areas have closed. The petition criticized the RCCE's governance structure and rising officer salaries and urged termination of the agreement "on or before 07/01/2026" to allow the county time to plan an alternative framework.
Commissioners responded that, consistent with the agreement's notice provisions, the board had already served a six-month termination notice. "I sent him a letter of transtermination with the 6 months advance. So we've already done what you've asked in that regard," the presiding official told petitioners during the meeting. Commissioners said they are considering multiple replacement options, including a new private operator or bringing services under a county department, and emphasized the need for countywide coverage and increased transparency in any successor structure.
Why it matters: The management of the Ross County Senior Center affects countywide senior services, including congregate meals, home-delivered meals and satellite access. Petitioners said services have contracted to the county seat, and commissioners acknowledged the shortfall while stressing the need for a carefully planned transition to avoid service disruption.
What happens next: Commissioners said they will engage stakeholders over the coming months to design a new governance and management approach to begin Jan. 1, 2027, and will ensure the transition adheres to contractual notice provisions already invoked.
(Direct quotations in this story come from the petition reading and the commissioners remarks recorded in the Jan. 12 meeting transcript.)
A representative reading the petition told the board the county senior-center operation "is operated and managed by the Ross County Committee for the Elderly Incorporated, a private entity" and that services now occur “solely in the city of Chillicothe” while satellite sites in Bainbridge and other areas have closed. The petition criticized the RCCE's governance structure and rising officer salaries and urged termination of the agreement "on or before 07/01/2026" to allow the county time to plan an alternative framework.
Commissioners responded that, consistent with the agreement's notice provisions, the board had already served a six-month termination notice. "I sent him a letter of transtermination with the 6 months advance. So we've already done what you've asked in that regard," the presiding official told petitioners during the meeting. Commissioners said they are considering multiple replacement options, including a new private operator or bringing services under a county department, and emphasized the need for countywide coverage and increased transparency in any successor structure.
Why it matters: The management of the Ross County Senior Center affects countywide senior services, including congregate meals, home-delivered meals and satellite access. Petitioners said services have contracted to the county seat, and commissioners acknowledged the shortfall while stressing the need for a carefully planned transition to avoid service disruption.
What happens next: Commissioners said they will engage stakeholders over the coming months to design a new governance and management approach to begin Jan. 1, 2027, and will ensure the transition adheres to contractual notice provisions already invoked.
(Direct quotations in this story come from the petition reading and the commissioners remarks recorded in the Jan. 12 meeting transcript.)
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