CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a rare tiebreak vote, Mayor Vi Lyles made the ultimate decision to postpone a vote on an ordinance that could limit which circuses come to town depending on how circuses train and treat their animals.
After months of protests by residents at city meetings and outside the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center and hard work by city staff, a proposed ordinance was drafted last week, according to city leaders.
The ordinance would have banned the use of bullhooks, electric prods, and other devices to handle, or train circus animals.
Animal rights activists supported that ordinance but also wanted leaders to go a step further and ban all wild and exotic animals from coming to Charlotte in circuses.
"They scream, cry and struggle to be forced into painful positions necessary for circus tricks," said Karen Moyer, a Charlotte resident who was in favor of the ban. "The amount of suffering these animals endure to entertain anyone's five-year-old is a crime."
But circus supporters, including the CEO of UniverSoul Circus which comes to Charlotte, said the wording in the law was too vague and asked leaders to revisit it.
Those who opposed the ordinance also spoke about the need for the circus for parts of the community.
"For low-income families, I'm sure that everyone sitting in these seats right here, can afford a Panthers ticket, low-income families cannot. But what they can afford is a circus ticket," said Julius Bishop, a Charlotte resident who supported the circus and said they do not mistreat animals.
City council members spent much of the evening debating the issue, making substitute motions, and amendments.
At one point the city attorney was asked to go behind closed doors and draft a new ordinance on the spot, but he never came back with one.
Instead, the mayor said no laws should be made that way, and an amendment to a proposal was made that would defer the vote to a later time.
Council was split on that deferment, 5-5, so Mayor Lyles broke the tie when she voted to defer the issue.
It's unclear the exact time the issue will come back before council.
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