Canal Winchester put numbers on its 2027 water and sewer rates, Reynoldsburg advanced its short-term rental tax and introduced backyard chicken rules, and Worthington’s housing-focused comprehensive plan reached City Council. This roundup covers October 16 to 31, 2026, grouped by area.
TL;DR
Canal Winchester introduced 2027 rates of $7.70 per 1,000 gallons for water and $7.15 for sewer on October 19. On October 26, Reynoldsburg gave a second reading to adding short-term rentals to its hotel tax and introduced ordinances on backyard chickens and backflow testing. Worthington City Council took up its new comprehensive plan on October 19, and Plain City’s mayor said the village is working on a property maintenance code. Six more items are in the radar section, grouped by area.
Key Takeaways
- Canal Winchester’s water and sewer usage charges would total $14.85 per 1,000 gallons in 2027 and $16.04 in 2028 under the proposed ordinances.
- Reynoldsburg’s hotel tax ordinance, which adds short-term rentals, is one reading from a final vote.
- Reynoldsburg’s chicken ordinance would require at least half an acre, cap flocks at six, and require a one-time permit. Leases can still set stricter rules.
- Worthington’s comprehensive plan supports ADUs and small multifamily. The zoning code rewrite that follows will turn it into rules.
- Plain City plans a property maintenance code, which would set upkeep standards for rental exteriors in the village.
In This Article
Southeast: Canal Winchester
Canal Winchester: 2027 and 2028 Water and Sewer Rates Introduced
Status: Introduced, public hearings pending. Second reading was set for November 2.
Canal Winchester City Council gave first readings on October 19, 2026 to Ordinance 26-021 (water user fees) and Ordinance 26-022 (sanitary sewer user fees). Both take effect for the billing period that includes January 1, 2027, and both set a second step for January 1, 2028.
| Charge per 1,000 gallons | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Water (domestic and sprinkler, outside the SWAD) | $7.70 | $8.32 |
| Sanitary sewer | $7.15 | $7.72 |
| Combined usage charge | $14.85 | $16.04 |
On a unit that uses 5,000 gallons in a month, for example, usage charges would come to about $74.25 at 2027 rates and $80.20 at 2028 rates, before any fixed charges. If you pay water and sewer on a Canal Winchester duplex or small building, multiply that by your unit count when you set next year’s budget. If tenants pay, expect the topic to come up at renewal.
East Side: Reynoldsburg
Reynoldsburg: Short-Term Rental Hotel Tax Gets Its Second Reading
Status: Second reading completed (one step from final vote). First introduced earlier in October.
A Reynoldsburg City Council committee forwarded the ordinance amending Chapter 192 (Hotel Tax) on October 12, and on October 26, 2026, it appeared on Council’s consent agenda for second reading. The change brings the city’s code in line with Ohio’s broader hotel definition so short-term rentals pay the bed tax, and it sends half of the revenue to a community improvement corporation for Old Reynoldsburg.
If you operate a short-term rental in Reynoldsburg, the next step is a final vote. Once it passes, expect to collect the tax on each stay, and check with the city on how to register and remit it. Long-term leases are unaffected.
Reynoldsburg: Backyard Chickens Would Be Allowed With Limits
Status: Introduced, public hearings pending. Council held work sessions on the idea in fall 2025.
On October 26, Council introduced an ordinance amending Section 505.02 (Permitted and Prohibited Animals) to allow residential chicken ownership. Under the proposal, owners would need at least half an acre on a single residential parcel, fenced under the zoning rules. The ordinance caps flocks at six birds, bans roosters, and requires coops with at least four square feet per bird, set at least 15 feet from every property line. It bans selling chickens or eggs and requires a one-time permit.
Rentals on lots under half an acre won’t qualify, so this affects only larger parcels. City permission doesn’t override a lease. If you own on a larger parcel, decide whether you’ll allow chickens and say so in the lease’s animal section, including who’s responsible for the coop and for any damage when the resident moves out.
North: Worthington
Worthington: Comprehensive Plan Goes to City Council
Status: Recommended for approval (awaiting Council vote). Staff recommended introducing and approving it the same night.
Worthington City Council placed Resolution No. 59-2026, adopting the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan, on its October 19, 2026 agenda. The Municipal Planning Commission unanimously recommended the plan on September 24, and staff recommended approval as presented. Council’s vote will appear in the approved minutes for that meeting.
The plan is the first full update since 2005. Its housing goals include enabling ADUs and small-scale housing such as two-family homes, fourplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts. Worthington is now seeking a consultant to rewrite its 1971 Planning and Zoning Code to match. Investors interested in adding an ADU to a Worthington lot, or in small multifamily there, should follow the code rewrite. That’s where lot sizes, parking, and approval steps get set.
View Source Document. See also the city’s request for proposals to rewrite the zoning code.
Northwest: Plain City
Plain City: Property Maintenance Code in the Works
Status: Under discussion (no vote scheduled). The village hasn’t published a draft yet.
At the October 21, 2026 Plain City Planning and Zoning meeting, the mayor responded to concerns about properties in the village that aren’t being kept up by saying the village is working on implementing a property maintenance code.
A property maintenance code sets minimum standards for exteriors, yards, structures, and sometimes interiors, with an enforcement process behind them. Plain City sits on the northwest edge of the Columbus metro, between Dublin and Marysville. If you own rentals there, a quick exterior walk-through now (gutters, siding, fences, peeling paint) puts you ahead of whatever standards the village adopts.
Also on the Radar, by Area
Everything else from the second half of October, grouped the same way.
East Side
Reynoldsburg, OH Introduced, public hearings pending. An ordinance amending Section 949.12 (Backflow Prevention Device) had its first reading October 26. It writes into code the city’s existing practice of annual backflow testing for commercial properties, and the section keeps the water superintendent’s authority to require devices and inspect connections. View Source Document
Southeast and Fairfield County
Lancaster, OH Under discussion (no vote scheduled). Lancaster’s October 29 Economic Development Committee agenda included a Community Development update on the Missing Middle Housing Project. “Missing middle” refers to duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and other housing between single-family homes and large apartment buildings; the agenda doesn’t give details of Lancaster’s project yet. Council also took up final plats for new residential sections, including Timber Run, on October 26. 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) had first readings on October 20 and were tabled. Investors tracking new single-family supply in Pickerington should watch for them to come back. View Source Document
Canal Winchester, OH Under discussion (no vote scheduled). The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed proposed zoning code amendments on October 26 as part of the citywide code update. View Source Document
Northwest and Delaware County
Hilliard, OH Second reading completed (one step from final vote). On October 26, Hilliard City Council held hearings on its 2027 operating budget (Ordinance 26-23) and Ordinance 26-25, which cancels a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Purdy Bowl, LLC. It also gave a first reading to Ordinance 26-28, accepting the Budget Commission’s tax amounts and rates. View Source Document
Delaware, OH Second reading completed (one step from final vote). Delaware City Council’s October 26 hearings included Ordinance 26-56, rezoning 12.417 acres on the south side of Bowtown Road from A-1 (Agricultural) to R-PUD (Residential Planned Development), plus a commercial rezoning, the Northwood tax increment financing districts, and the 2027 budget. View Source Document
Want help keeping up with rules across your portfolio?
Talk with our team about how RL handles local rules, rates, and renewals for owners across Central Ohio.
Or get a free rent evaluation · 614.212.6903
Sources & Suggested External Links
- Canal Winchester City Council Packet, October 19, 2026: Ordinances 26-021 and 26-022.
- Reynoldsburg City Council Packet, October 26, 2026: hotel tax, chicken, and backflow ordinances.
- Worthington City Council Packet, October 19, 2026: Resolution No. 59-2026 and staff memo.
- American Planning Association: Worthington Zoning Code Rewrite RFP: scope of the code rewrite.
- Plain City Planning and Zoning Packet, October 21, 2026: property maintenance code remarks.
- Lancaster Economic Development Committee Agenda, October 29, 2026: Missing Middle Housing Project update.
- Pickerington City Council Minutes, October 20, 2026: Ordinances 2026-22 through 2026-24.
- Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda, October 26, 2026: zoning code amendments.
- Hilliard City Council, October 26, 2026: Ordinances 26-23, 26-25, and 26-28.
- Delaware City Council Agenda, October 26, 2026: Ordinances 26-53, 26-55, 26-56, and 26-61.