Ventura County pauses state-led transition of Area Agency on Aging to allow more review

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted March 3 to ask the California Department of Aging (CDA) to pause its request for proposals to transfer the county's Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to an external community-based organization and to preserve county administration while alternatives are evaluated.

Chair John Gorell said the move is intended to "preserve continuity, accountability and public confidence" after providers and community advocates raised concerns about the pace of the transition, the financial impact of federal changes under H.R. 1, and the possibility the county could lose its Adults and Disabilities Resource Connection (ADRC) accreditation. "For our seniors who rely on these services, we owe them stability, not uncertainty," Gorell said.

HSA Director Roger Robinson told the board staff had discussed the work with CDA and that the RFP was posted with a March 27 closing date. Robinson said no applicants had been recorded as of the board meeting and that CDA's legal team was reviewing contract novation and ADRC questions. He gave an estimate that maintaining a local ADRC access function could cost roughly $150,000 per year and described staffing implications tied to recent state funding and eligibility changes.

Senior-service providers and ADRC staff urged the board to pause the transition. Jennifer Griffin, executive director of Access Central Coast, which operates the county's ADRC, said the ADRC designation is not transferable and rebuilding an ADRC from scratch could take at least 18 months with no guarantee of funding. Andrea Gallagher, CEO of Senior Concerns, and other speakers told supervisors the CDA timeline was too compressed for organizations to mount a responsible response to a more-than-100-page RFP or to reorganize for large-scale service administration without start-up funding.

Board members debated alternatives including requesting a CDA extension rather than a full withdrawal of the RFP, advancing a county-led interim model, or moving to another hybrid option (county contracting plus stronger CBO roles). Supervisors cited three central risks: (1) losing ADRC accreditation if the county relinquishes designation before ensuring local capacity; (2) CBO readiness to assume mandated services without dedicated start-up funds; and (3) insufficient public engagement on a significant governance change.

Supervisor Gorell moved the board letter to request CDA withdraw the RFP and pause the transition. The motion was seconded and, after discussion, carried by a vote the clerk reported as three in favor and two opposed. The board directed county staff to develop a range of service-delivery options, present budget implications for the next fiscal year (including a proposed $1.2 million general-fund placeholder to sustain services if necessary), and return with recommendations.

County staff said if no CBO applies and CDA requires a change of designation, the state could be required to step in. Staff also said they would continue to seek technical clarifications from CDA, including whether a novation of existing contracts could preserve ADRC operations during any transition.

The board asked staff to provide interim updates as the county works with CDA, local providers and the state legislature to evaluate models, regulations, and timelines.

Next steps: staff will return with an analysis of options, an updated fiscal plan for FY 2026'27, and a schedule for public engagement and decision points.