Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at June 8's City Council meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
New property values are arriving in the mail
A representative from the Franklin County Auditor's Office came to council to walk through the 2026 triennial property value update. Values are rising about 10 percent on average countywide and about 7 percent across the Worthington School District, but the representative stressed that a higher value does not automatically mean a higher tax bill, since most of a bill is set by voted levies. Tentative values can be checked starting June 9 on the auditor's "Know Your Home Value" website, and owners who think their value is wrong can schedule an informal review between July and September.
Council wants to take another look at its license-plate cameras
During a policy check-in, a council member expressed renewed concerns about the city's Flock license-plate-reader cameras. Members agreed to gather the cameras' contract details and schedule a fuller conversation about them, most likely after the August recess.
The brief discussion previewed both sides. The concern centered less on how Worthington's own police use the cameras than on the broader Flock network beyond the city's control, and on the risk that license-plate data could be misused or hacked. Other members pointed to the public-safety benefits cited when the cameras were adopted, including help locating missing residents, and noted that the system captures still images rather than continuous video and is controlled in-house. Members framed the coming conversation as a chance to weigh those tradeoffs and to ask whether the contract could be amended rather than simply renewed or dropped.
See previous Pulse coverage of the council discussion on Flock cameras and the "Welcoming Environment" resolution that was passed here
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Curbside food-waste collection heads out to bid
Council gave staff direction to seek bids on curbside food-waste collection two different ways before deciding whether to fund it. The first option is a citywide program the city would pay for, with $100,000 in support from the regional solid-waste authority; the second is a competitively bid subscription program that residents would sign up and pay for on their own. No money was committed. Members tied the decision to a tight budget, and several pushed to keep any commitment shorter than the five-year term the citywide model assumes. Staff expect to seek formal permission to bid in July, advertise the work over the August recess, and open bids in September, in time for the new trash and recycling contract that takes effect at the start of 2027.
In Other News
Around the City
- A valet service may be coming to Old Worthington. As part of an effort to ease downtown parking through shared arrangements with private lot owners, a third-party operator connected to Wolf's Ridge Brewing wants to run a valet service open to patrons of any downtown establishment. Because it would use the public right-of-way for drop-off and pickup, it needs a contract and a special permit, which staff expect to bring to council next week.
- E-bikes, e-scooters, and abandoned scooters. Staff will share safety guidance on state law for e-bikes and e-scooters soon, with possible local rules to follow in the fall; the juvenile-diversion piece of that effort is expected back in September. Council members also flagged shared VeoRide scooters left sitting around town for weeks and asked staff to pursue a removal or impound process.
- A possible new water fee. With roughly 26 water main breaks this year, more than all of last year, council floated adding a fixed water-infrastructure fee as a future revenue source. Members agreed to revisit it during budget season.
- No swings on the Village Green. A resident asked the city to add swing benches to the Village Green. Council declined to put swings on the Green, since doing so would delay a pending bench-replacement project, but signaled openness to swing benches elsewhere in the future. The ordinance to replace 28 Village Green benches is set for a public hearing June 15.
- Forge Fields gets a brand. The city's economic-development district at Rush Run (formerly the Northeast Area Plan) now has a logo and a project website launching this month, with informational mailers going to area property owners.
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Policy and People
- Unhoused residents and panhandling. Staff raised the possibility of an encampment ordinance and new limits on roadway solicitation for safety reasons. Council asked to see the law department's draft framework and emphasized that any approach should focus on connecting people to services and housing, not just enforcement.
Boards, Commissions, and Regional
- Charter Review Commission. The Charter Review Commission reviews the city's charter and recommends amendments to council, which then decides what goes on the ballot for voters. It is on track to finish its recommendations this month and present them to council in July.
- Comprehensive plan. The Worthington Together community committee meets June 17 to review the public comments gathered during this phase of the city's comprehensive-plan process.
- Statewide property-tax repeal won't be on the November ballot. A statewide campaign to abolish Ohio property taxes has been pushed to 2027 after falling short of the signatures needed for this year's ballot; the signatures already gathered carry forward. Property taxes are the main local funding source for Worthington's schools and city services.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, June 15, 7 p.m. — City Council, Worthington Municipal Building, 6550 N. High Street. The agenda includes a public hearing on the FY2027 tax budget and hearings on several teed-up items, including the Village Green bench replacement.
- Tuesday, June 16, 6 p.m. — Parks & Recreation Commission, Worthington Community Center, 345 E. Wilson Bridge Road. The commission advises the city on parks and recreation programming, including the Village Green benches.
- Wednesday, June 17 — Worthington Together comprehensive-plan community committee meeting, reviewing public comments received this phase.
- Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. — Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Planning and Building Training Room, 374 Highland Ave. The board steers Worthington's LinkUS-funded bike and pedestrian upgrades.
- Thursday, June 25 — Architectural Review Board / Municipal Planning Commission expects the Elford and Crawford Hoying applications.
Thanks for reading this summary of the City Council meeting, you can watch the original full video here