Council approves more than $188 million in appropriations and contracts for senior services and home‑care programs; director warns of federal uncertainty

Columbus City Council on Monday approved multiple ordinances to fund and contract for senior‑services programs administered by the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA), including large appropriations for the Passport Medicaid waiver and related home‑and‑community services.

Council approved an appropriation of $102,474,640 for the Passport program (ordinance 13 44 dash 2025) and a separate authorization (ordinance 13 48 dash 2025) allowing the Recreation and Parks director to enter into contracts with listed agencies to provide Passport home‑care and assisted‑living services for Central Ohio for July–December 2025, authorizing $86,516,252 for that contracting period. Council also approved a six‑month extension and $225,000 payment for building maintenance at a COAAA office location (ordinance 12 08 dash 2025).

Katie White, executive director of COAAA, addressed council and characterized the ordinances as “to maintain business as usual.” She told council that the Passport program has been administered locally since 1984 and serves thousands of older adults across multiple counties; the contracted providers and agency staff coordinate screening, assessment and provider certification to keep people at home rather than in institutional care.

White and councilmembers also discussed an evolving federal policy environment: the transcript records COAAA staff saying a recent federal reorganization proposal had threatened Older Americans Act programs but that updated HHS materials showed the administration planned to keep Older Americans Act programs together and not cut the programs COAAA feared would be reduced. White described the development as “cautiously optimistic” while urging continued advocacy to protect federal funding.

Council members emphasized the local stakes: several council speakers noted the scale of the appropriations and the potential harm to local services if federal dollars were cut. Council adopted the ordinances as emergency measures to ensure provider payments and continuity of services after June 30.

Council also postponed a smaller senior‑nutrition item — the Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program grant (ordinance 11 93 dash 2025) — to the June 9 agenda at the request of the adopting committee.

What the council approved: large grant and contract authorities for home‑care and assisted‑living services through COAAA to continue Passport and related programs for older adults, a short extension of existing building maintenance services, and emergency designations so providers can be paid without interruption.

Council voted by roll call on each ordinance; recorded roll calls showed unanimous support among members present for the items taken up in the Health, Human Services and Equity committee that evening.

The council’s action moves substantial local, state and federal Medicaid‑linked funding into local contracts and authorizations; COAAA said it will continue advocacy and monitoring of federal proposals that could change the funding or administration of Older Americans Act and Medicaid waiver programs.