Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at the October 5, 2026 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.
E-bike and e-scooter vote moves to Nov. 2
After a public hearing, council postponed its vote on the proposed e-bike and e-scooter rules (Ordinance 31-2026) until Nov. 2 and asked staff to draft changes. The leading idea, brought by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, is a rider-education class that would let some riders under the proposed minimum age of 14 use e-bikes and e-scooters legally; council members discussed ages 12 to 16. Members also asked staff to explore a five-foot passing distance for cars, rules for riding on sidewalks, and how police would track warnings and citations. Police are expected to emphasize education over tickets for the first 60 to 90 days after any rules take effect.
$265,000 funds final design of the Kenyon Brook sewer
Council approved $265,000 to finish the engineering design for the Kenyon Brook trunk sewer improvement (Ordinance 32-2026), the last major project in the city's long effort to stop sanitary sewer overflows in southeast Worthington. The plan uses a new pump station and pressure pipe to move excess flow across High Street, and lines the existing sewer rather than replacing it. Two Kenyon Brook residents asked the city to also study replacing the century-old sewer that runs beneath one of their homes; staff described added easements, utility conflicts, and a risky tunnel under High Street. Council passed the ordinance 6-0 as presented, with Council Member Glen Pratt abstaining as an affected property owner.
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In Other News
Money and spending
Property tax rates Council accepted the rates the Franklin County Budget Commission set for next year, a step state law requires every fall (Ordinance 33-2026), and it passed 7-0. Finance Director Scott Bartter said the city's rate stays at 5.94 mills, the same as last year. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value, which in Ohio is 35 percent of market value. Of the 5.94 mills, 2.50 is the amount Ohio lets the city levy without a vote; the other 3.44 comes from the city charter and voter-approved bond debt.
Extra appropriations. Council approved $255,000 in additional general fund spending to cover higher fuel costs ($110,000 across four departments), more road salt to refill the salt barn after last winter ($100,000), and building maintenance at the community center ($45,000), plus $255,000 in the FEMA grant fund to match the city's budget to a three-year federal SAFER grant that funds firefighter salaries (Ordinance 34-2026). It passed unanimously. The dollar figures come from the ordinance; none were stated aloud. City Manager Robyn Stewart said the city has no electric vehicles in its fleet yet and will weigh them as vehicles come up for replacement, as part of the capital improvement program.
2027 budget workshops. Council received the proposed 2027 operating budget and the 2027-2031 capital improvements program. Workshops start next week; the dates are in Upcoming Dates below. Both documents are at worthington.org/budget.
Around the city
Comprehensive plan. The Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission reviewed the Worthington Together comprehensive plan at their last meeting and forwarded it to council, where it is expected in two weeks. Council member Amy Lloyd noted that she was disappointed in the small resident turnout for the review.
Joint meeting with the school board. A planned joint session of council and the Worthington Board of Education set for Oct. 13 will not happen because the board is unavailable. Council members said they would rather schedule it for early 2027 and make it an annual event; the school board sets its calendar by the end of December.
Outdoor pool. Stewart said staff is finalizing details for council members to tour the outdoor pool construction site before next week's meeting. The Pulse's outdoor pool coverage has the background, or check the official city site for pool updates.
Gas bills. Council discussed Columbia Gas's proposal to raise its fixed monthly charge, now about $50 a month whether or not a customer uses any gas, to more than $70 a month by 2030. The Columbus Dispatch reported that new rates would start on January 2028 bills. PUCO's review can take up to a year and includes public hearings; written comments can be filed through PUCO's docketing system under the case number. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel explains how to comment.
Executive Session Council recessed into executive session to discuss appointments, the compensation of a public employee, a property purchase, and pending legal matters before adjourning.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, October 12 — City Council budget workshop: overview of the proposed 2027 operating budget and 2027-2031 capital improvements program, including revenue projections and the five-year general fund forecast.
- Monday, October 19 — City Council budget workshop on departmental budgets, a change from the schedule shown in July. The comprehensive plan is also expected to come before council.
- Monday, October 26 — Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board meeting. The board proposed the rider-education class council is now weighing.
- Monday, November 2 — City Council takes up a revised e-bike and e-scooter ordinance, and holds a budget workshop on the capital improvements program.
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Thanks for reading this summary of the City Council meeting, you can watch the original full video here