SStarkville Smoking Ban Gains Steam Among Some City Officials

By Paul Sims,psims@cdispatch.com

STARKVILLE - At least two Starkville aldermen are leaning toward passage of an ordinance restricting smoking in public places, while at least two others are still listening to public input, although they acknowledge most people with whom they've talked support the move.

While saying he will keep an open mind, Vice Mayor and Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins says he's strongly in favor of passage of an ordinance “that provides for a smoke-free Starkville.”

“The smoke-free ordinance is going to provide a healthy environment,” Perkins said.

In November, members of the grass-roots group “Breathe Free Starkville” presented a draft ordinance banning smoking in all public places in the city, including bars and restaurants, citing a health benefit to the community. At the Board of Aldermen's Dec. 6 meeting, restaurant owners objected to the ban, saying it could cripple business by driving it to other communities and create governmental intrusion.

If the ordinance is enacted, Starkville - the home of Mississippi State University - would join at least five other Southeastern Conference communities with at least some restrictions on smoking in public places.

Perkins believes the ordinance is in the community's best interest and doesn't think the ban would push smokers out of the city's eating establishments.

“People who smoke are going to continue to go to restaurants .... I just think that the business climate will continue at its current level,” Perkins said.

Perkins also thinks the board should consider the matter in a straight up-or-down vote rather than going the route of a referendum.

While saying “I always believe the people ... should have a strong voice in government,” Perkins said he doesn't think it's a matter on which to spend the taxpayers' money.

Such a vote would be non-binding, said Ward 3 Alderman P.C. “Mac” McLaurin. McLaurin agrees that a vote “may be an expense that might be insecure.”

The board won't take action on the subject until after the Jan. 19 town hall meeting at 6 p.m. at the Greensboro Center, McLaurin said.

McLaurin says the overwhelming number of people he's had contact with support the ban, but he wants to hear the public input at the town hall meeting and give some consideration to a few of the issues members of the Starkville Restaurant Association have raised.

However, “My inclination at the moment is to support the ban barring something unusual occurring,” McLaurin said.

Both McLaurin and Perkins say the proposed ordinance may need some fine-tuning.

Ward 1 Alderman Sumner Davis says he also wants to hear the public's input at the forum and then “try to make a reasoned and logical decision.”

“Both sides make valid points,” Davis said, adding aldermen have “no clear-cut, easy answer.”

Davis says he hasn't thought through the mechanism by which the board might consider the subject.

“Right now, I'm listening,” said Ward 5 Alderman Matt Cox.

“Whatever we do should be right for Starkville,” said Cox, noting 80 to 90 percent of the people with whom he's had contact support the ordinance.

After Jan. 19, the board will have four choices - do nothing, act on the proposal, draft a new one or send the matter to the people for a vote, Cox said.