Canal Winchester’s 2027 water and sewer rates came back for a second reading, Worthington closed its call for consultants to rewrite a zoning code that dates to 1971, and Upper Arlington voters decided Issue 34. This update covers November 2 and 3, 2026.
TL;DR
Canal Winchester listed its 2027 water ($7.70 per 1,000 gallons) and sewer ($7.15) rate ordinances for second reading on November 2. Worthington’s deadline for zoning code rewrite proposals was November 2, and its City Council moved bond-backed waterline and sewer projects forward the same night. Upper Arlington’s police and fire pension levy, Issue 34, went to voters on November 3. Gahanna and Pickerington items are in the radar section; we’ll cover meetings from later this week in a future update.
Key Takeaways
- Canal Winchester’s new water and sewer rates take effect with the billing period that includes January 1, 2027, if adopted.
- Worthington’s zoning code rewrite is about to start. It follows a comprehensive plan that supports ADUs and small multifamily.
- Upper Arlington’s Issue 34 would cost about $8.40 more a year per $100,000 of property value, according to city staff.
In This Article
Canal Winchester: Water and Sewer Rates, Second Reading
Status: Second reading completed (one step from final vote). Rates would apply from the January 2027 billing period.
Canal Winchester City Council’s November 2, 2026 agenda listed Ordinance 26-021 (water user fees) and Ordinance 26-022 (sanitary sewer user fees) for second reading. Council introduced both on October 19. The water ordinance sets $7.70 per 1,000 gallons in 2027 and $8.32 in 2028 for domestic and sprinkler service outside the SWAD. The sewer ordinance sets $7.15 in 2027 and $7.72 in 2028.
Taken together, that’s $14.85 per 1,000 gallons in 2027. For a building where the owner pays utilities, a fourplex using 20,000 gallons a month, for example, would see about $297 a month in usage charges at 2027 rates. If your leases make tenants responsible for water and sewer, now is a good time to confirm that the accounts are in the residents’ names.
Worthington: Zoning Code Rewrite Gets Underway
Status: Under discussion (no vote scheduled). The city is selecting a consultant; the rewrite itself will take months.
Proposals for the Assessment and Rewrite of Worthington’s Planning and Zoning Code were due November 2, 2026. The code was first adopted in 1971. According to the request for proposals, the rewrite should line up with the Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan and other city plans and streamline planning and zoning procedures. A Code Review Committee with members from the plan’s community committee and the city’s boards will work with the consultant.
The comprehensive plan supports accessory dwelling units and small-scale housing such as two-family homes and fourplexes. The code rewrite is where those goals turn into setbacks, lot sizes, parking rules, and approval steps. Worthington owners who want to add a unit or convert a property should follow the Code Review Committee’s meetings once they start.
Also on November 2, Worthington City Council introduced Resolution No. 61-2026, which lets the city spend up to $2.2 million in future bond or note proceeds on waterline replacement on Caren Avenue, sewer work on Kenyonbrook, and trail repaving, and held a public hearing on Ordinance No. 31-2026, which updates rules for e-bikes, e-scooters, and similar devices.
View Source Document (request for proposals). Council agenda: November 2, 2026.
Upper Arlington: Issue 34 Goes to Voters
Status: Upcoming meeting (scheduled for November 3, 2026). Results will be official after the county canvass.
Upper Arlington’s Police and Fire Pension Levy, Issue 34, was on the November 3, 2026 ballot. City staff described it as mostly a replacement levy with a slight increase, about $8.40 a year for every $100,000 of property value, with all proceeds going to the city’s required contributions to the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund. The Franklin County Board of Elections posts results, which become official after the county canvass.
If it passed, budget the small increase for Upper Arlington rentals in 2027, alongside the first step of the HB 186 phase-down of the 10% rollback on non-owner-occupied homes under ORC 319.302.
Also on the Radar This Week
Two smaller items from November 2 and 3.
Gahanna, OH Just passed. Gahanna City Council passed ORD-0040-2026 on November 2. It’s the city’s annual update to its General Offenses Code and Traffic Code, which the city attorney’s office says brings both in line with recent state law changes. Nothing in it targets rentals. View Source Document
Pickerington, OH Introduced, public hearings pending. Final plats for three sections of The Retreat at Hickory Lakes (Ordinances 2026-22 through 2026-24) were back on Pickerington City Council’s November 3 agenda, along with a resolution on housing prisoners at the Fairfield County jail. View Source Document
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Sources & Suggested External Links
- Canal Winchester City Council Agenda, November 2, 2026: second readings of Ordinances 26-021 and 26-022.
- Canal Winchester City Council Packet, October 19, 2026: full text of the rate ordinances.
- American Planning Association: Worthington Zoning Code Rewrite RFP: scope and November 2 deadline.
- Worthington City Council Agenda, November 2, 2026: Resolution No. 61-2026 and Ordinance No. 31-2026.
- Franklin County Board of Elections: Notice of Election, Upper Arlington Pension Issue: Issue 34 ballot language.
- Ohio Revised Code 319.302: the rollback credit HB 186 phases down for non-owner-occupied homes.
- Gahanna Department of Law Memo, October 8, 2026: purpose of ORD-0040-2026.
- Pickerington City Council Agenda Packet, November 3, 2026: Ordinances 2026-22 through 2026-24.