Upper Arlington · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Upper Arlington public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Medic 71 purchase and Medic 72 in 2028 budget cycle
The city has purchased a new Medic 71 ambulance, and a Medic 72 replacement is planned for the 2028 budget cycle. These apparatus purchases affect future fire and EMS budgets.
2026 Tax Levies Certified
Council certified the county-determined tax rates and levies for the year — routine annual budget housekeeping that sets the property tax rates residents will pay.
CRC Grant Program Parameters
The grant working group set an annual pool of $15,000 with individual grants up to $5,000, and is considering adding social enterprises as eligible applicants.
CORMA Insurance Pool Renewal Cost Increase
The city's property/liability insurance pool contribution would rise about 16% to $512,000, driven by $30 million in newly insured assets and market increases. Council wants comparative market pricing to double-check the pool is still the best value.
Administrative Code, fees, and building code amendments
A sweeping code cleanup would quadruple the fee penalty for building without a permit and add remote-meeting authority for boards. Council wrangled over keeping written notice of outside-counsel hires and civil-service exam fairness standards.
Mid-year 2026 budget amendment
Ordinance No. 31-2026 would adjust 2026 appropriations and the employee strength table, tweaking the budget partway through the year.
Campaign Contribution Limit Increase
Council raised the individual donation cap for council campaigns from $250 to $400 — the first update since roughly 1990 — on a 4-3 split vote, with the increase taking effect only after the 2029 election.
Commission bylaws amendment on unexcused absences
The commission changed how it counts unexcused absences — swapping a calendar-year window for a rolling 12-month one — which affects when a member's seat can be declared vacant.
City finances and county disbursement delays
Franklin County is two to three months behind on property tax disbursements, making some utility fund balances look negative for now. A big withholding tax payment is skewing income tax projections; a mid-year update comes after summer recess.
April 2026 Financial Report
City finances look steady, but Franklin County is two to three months behind sending property-tax and utility-related disbursements, creating some temporary negative utility fund balances. Income tax revenue is running well ahead of projections thanks to one large withholding payment.
HR retention schedule project on hold
The overhaul of HR's record retention schedule is paused after the HR Director's departure; it'll pick back up once the department is fully staffed.
Grant record retention aligned with federal rules
Grant application records will now be kept at least three years, matching federal requirements — protecting the city during audits and when grant terms demand more.
World Cities Summit participation questioned
Council was set to authorize sending the mayor to the 2026 World Cities Summit at no cost to the city, but members pressed for clarity on who funds and backs the summit before approving. Postponed one week.
Infrastructure resiliency planning
Third priority after a tiebreaker vote: a plan to make the city's infrastructure more resilient to future stresses. It would likely require hiring a dedicated staff member or consultant and significant new funding — details still to be worked out.