Seneca County commissioners elect Frankert president, approve routine transfers and chiller contract

Tiffin, Ohio — The Seneca County Board of Commissioners opened its Jan. 6, 2026 organizational meeting by electing Commissioner Bill Frankert as board president and Commissioner Brett Bostecker as vice president and moving routine administrative business for the year.

Barb Patterson, who led organizational items for the meeting, said the board would complete committee assignments and annual resolutions for 2026. Commissioners recorded unanimous roll-call votes for the leadership appointments and agreed to hold regular meetings on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.

The board approved several budget and administrative measures. Members voted to transfer $400,000 from the county general fund into the Justice Center Operating Fund to cover operating expenses, and they authorized supplemental appropriations including $279,868 from the capital projects fund for a Job and Family Services chiller replacement. Patterson noted the chiller has a long lead time, and the board accepted a bid from Earl Mechanical Services to allow ordering to begin; staff said the equipment has an estimated 12-week lead time.

“It's a 12-week lead time,” Patterson said during discussion of the replacement, explaining why the county is…