Worthington City Council Places Comprehensive Charter Amendments on November Ballot
Voters will decide on charter recommendations governing Mayor's Court closure, council vacancy rules, petition timing, operating contracts and planning board expansion.
Worthington voters will decide on a comprehensive package of municipal charter updates this fall after City Council approved placing Ordinance No. 22-2026 (As Amended) on the ballot for a special election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
The special election will run concurrently with the general election, pursuant to charter provisions and City Council Resolution No. 46-2026, because Worthington does not hold a regular municipal election in 2026 under the municipal code. The proposed charter amendments stem from recommendations developed by an eleven-member Charter Review Commission appointed in March 2026. Under Section 9.04 of the city charter, council must assemble a citizen review body at least once every ten years to assess the governing document and recommend necessary updates.
On the November ballot, electors will see a single comprehensive question asking whether the various sections of the municipal charter should be amended as set forth in the ordinance. The amendment package features several structural adjustments to municipal governance, spanning court oversight, council qualifications, citizen petitions, administrative contract execution and planning board composition.
Mayor's Court Authority and Magistrate Appointments
Under the proposed charter revisions to Section 2.05, City Council would secure explicit authority to terminate local court operations if Mayor's Court is abolished or terminated by State legislative act or by ordinance adopted by six sevenths of the members of City Council. Existing charter language had required the mayor to preside over misdemeanor cases arising under municipal ordinances until another court was mandated by state law.
The proposed amendment also clarifies that both the mayor and vice-mayor must be attorneys admitted to practice in Ohio in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio for as long as the court exists. In addition, the measure establishes that nothing in this Section 2.05 shall limit the City Council from appointing a magistrate to preside over Mayor's Court in the absence of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor, with council establishing the magistrate's qualifications and making the appointment by resolution.
Mandatory Vacancy for Felonies and Dereliction of Duty
The amendment package strengthens standards for municipal council tenure under Section 2.03. If approved, City Council will be mandated to declare vacant without delay the seat of any member who has pled to or has been convicted of a felony or any crime involving dereliction of duties while in office.
The charter update also requires automatic seat vacancy if a council member receives a judicial declaration of incompetency or lacks the requisite qualifications for office set forth in the charter.
Extended Initiative and Referendum Windows
The proposal adjusts the calendar governing direct democracy in Worthington. Under revised Section 1.03, citizen initiative and referendum measures must be submitted to voters at the next general election if that election occurs not less than ninety days nor more than one hundred eighty days after the Finance Director certifies the sufficiency and validity of the petition to the board of elections.
If no general election falls within that 90-to-180-day window, council retains authority to place the citizen measure before voters at a special election, a primary election within that time frame or at the subsequent general election.
City Manager Operating Contract Execution
Administrative authority under Section 3.02 would be streamlined for routine city business. The charter revision permits the city manager to execute, without having to obtain additional authorization from Council, contracts for the expenditure of funds from the General Fund which have previously been appropriated by council as part of the annual operating budget process or amendments thereto.
Specific council authorization remains mandatory before the city manager can execute contracts for public improvement construction or capital asset acquisitions funded by the Capital Improvement Fund.
Municipal Planning Commission Expansion
The charter package also reshapes municipal land-use administration in Section 6.02 by establishing that there shall be a Municipal PlanningDevelopment Commission consisting of sixeight members.
Under the updated structure, council will appoint seven voting members to overlapping three-year terms, up from five voting members under the current charter. Two of those voting members must reside in the Architectural Review District, including at least one resident freeholder. A designated council member will serve as the eighth, non-voting member for a two-year term, shifting from a one-year assignment. Council passed the ordinance on July 20, 2026, advancing the measures for voter determination.
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City Council Ordinances · Ordinance No. 22-2026 (As Amended) · ordinance
Supporting evidence (10)
Worthington voters will decide on a comprehensive package of municipal charter updates this fall after City Council approved placing Ordinance No. 22-2026 (As Amended) on the ballot for a special election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
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WHEREAS, since no regular municipal election will be held in 2026, City Council by Resolution No. 46-2026, has called a special election pursuant to Section 7.01 of the Charter to be held on November 3, 2026 concurrently with the general election, a date which is not less than 60 nor more than 120 days after passage of this Ordinance.
The special election will run concurrently with the general election, pursuant to charter provisions and City Council Resolution No. 46-2026, because Worthington does not hold a regular municipal election in 2026 under the municipal code.
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WHEREAS, since no regular municipal election will be held in 2026, City Council by Resolution No. 46-2026, has called a special election pursuant to Section 7.01 of the Charter to be held on November 3, 2026 concurrently with the general election, a date which is not less than 60 nor more than 120 days after passage of this Ordinance.
The proposed charter amendments stem from recommendations developed by an eleven-member Charter Review Commission appointed in March 2026.
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City Council approved Resolution No. 20-2026, on March 16, 2026, appointing an eleven member Charter Review Commission comprised of Aaron Brown, John Butterfield, Jamie Cleverley, Ben Collins, Mikel Coulter, Kisha Gunn, Stephanie Harless, Beth Kowalczyk, Glen Pratt, Rebecca Princehorn, and Ram Rajadhyaksha
On the November ballot, electors will see a single comprehensive question asking whether the various sections of the municipal charter should be amended as set forth in the ordinance.
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Shall the various sections of the Charter of the City of Worthington be amended as set forth in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 22-2026 of the City of Worthington?
Under the proposed charter revisions to Section 2.05, City Council would secure explicit authority to terminate local court operations if Mayor's Court is abolished or terminated by State legislative act or by ordinance adopted by six sevenths of the members of City Council.
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abolished or terminated by State legislative act or by ordinance adopted by six sevenths of the members of City Council.
In addition, the measure establishes that nothing in this Section 2.05 shall limit the City Council from appointing a magistrate to preside over Mayor's Court in the absence of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor, with council establishing the magistrate's qualifications and making the appointment by resolution.
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Nothing in this Section 2.05 shall limit the City Council from appointing a magistrate to preside over Mayor's Court in the absence of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor. City Council shall establish the qualifications of a magistrate and shall make such appointment by resolution.
If approved, City Council will be mandated to declare vacant without delay the seat of any member who has pled to or has been convicted of a felony or any crime involving dereliction of duties while in office.
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The Council shall without delay declare vacant the seat of any member who has pled to or has been convicted of a felony or any crime involving dereliction of duties while in office; has received a judicial declaration of incompetency; lacks, or is found to have lacked, the qualifications described in Section 2.02 of this Charter.
Under revised Section 1.03, citizen initiative and referendum measures must be submitted to voters at the next general election if that election occurs not less than ninety days nor more than one hundred eighty days after the Finance Director certifies the sufficiency and validity of the petition to the board of elections.
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The vote on an initiative or referendum shall be submitted at the next general election if one shall occur not less than ninety days nor more than one hundred eighty days after the Finance Director certifies the sufficiency and validity of the petition to the board of elections.
The charter revision permits the city manager to execute, without having to obtain additional authorization from Council, contracts for the expenditure of funds from the General Fund which have previously been appropriated by council as part of the annual operating budget process or amendments thereto.
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Execute, without having to obtain additional authorization from Council, contracts for the expenditure of funds from the General Fund which have previously been appropriated by Council as part of the annual operating budget process or amendments thereto;
The charter package also reshapes municipal land-use administration in Section 6.02 by establishing that there shall be a Municipal PlanningDevelopment Commission consisting of sixeight members.
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There shall be a Municipal PlanningDevelopment Commission consisting of sixeight members.