Council introduces mobile food vendor ordinance

The controversial mobile food vendor ordinance from the spring will once again come before the Monroe City Council as they voted to reintroduce the ordinance Tuesday night at their meeting.

The ordinance, which was written and submitted by City Council Chairman Ray Armstrong, was the cause of much public debate in the spring and early summer as local businesses and Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo expressed their disagreement and the council voted not to introduce the bill.

Mayo threatened to veto the ordinance if it did pass earlier this year.

Armstrong said he has rewritten the ordinance so that all of the concerns from the previous debates have been addressed.

“I have done extensive research into this,” he said. “I would encourage the passage of this ordinance.”

If the ordinance were to be passed at the council’s next meeting, it would allow for mobile food vendors, such as food trucks, hot dog carts and other forms, to operate in the city of Monroe.

One woman expressed her disagreement with the ordinance and said the ordinance would hurt small business owners in the city.

Armstrong said it is illegal to prohibit the passing of an ordinance to protect businesses from other competitors.

“America was not built by regulation,” he said. “America was built by people seeking freedom who were willing to take risks.”

Armstrong added that the success of mobile food vendors makes them a great opportunity for the city of Monroe.

“These ordinances have been vetted many many times with research from numerous other cities on this very very popular mobile food ordinance,” he said.

He said those mobile food vendors are already making an impact on the community.

“There are mobile food vendors out there right now, illegally if you will, feeding the public who are suffering from the damage of the storm,” he said.

The ordinance will be open for more public discussion at the council’s next meeting Oct. 28.

Follow Kaleb Causey on Twitter @Kaleb_Causey.