Taylor city officials introduced an ordinance on Oct. 9 that would restrict sitting, lying or sleeping in public and bar aggressive panhandling in parts of the downtown overlay district; the item was presented as a first reading and no final action was taken.

Interim Chief Branson, speaking for the police department, told the council the draft ordinance (Ordinance 2025-33) is intended to be “a balanced tool” to maintain safety, support commerce and keep downtown “welcoming and accessible to all.” He described enforcement as primarily complaint-based, beginning with discussion and requests for compliance, followed by official warnings and, only in rare cases where obstruction continued, citations or arrests.

The measure matters because downtown business owners and some residents told the council they have received complaints about people occupying sidewalks, obstructing pedestrian ways and what they described as aggressive panhandling. Several public commenters and residents urged the council to pair enforcement with services rather than criminal penalties, saying fines and jail time would worsen outcomes for unhoused people and could expose the city to legal challenges.

“Reactive ordinances like this one won't fix it,” said Elise Mirvash, a downtown business owner who identified herself as the owner of Carrier Mavosa Books at 114 North Main. Mirvash said pedestrian safety and speeding drivers are among the downtown problems that she believes are not solved by a loitering ordinance.

Members of the public who work with people experiencing homelessness urged alternatives to criminalization. “The thing that we need to not do is settle them with a bunch of warrants and fines and citations,” said Carrie Deanna, who said she speaks for several residents from District 1; she added that panhandling has been upheld as protected expression in court and warned the city could face litigation.

Lisa Drummond, a volunteer with the Taylor Center for Assistance and Navigation (TCAN), told the council TCAN documented between 50 and 100 people in Taylor who are marginally sheltered or unhoused. Angelica Salazar, who said she has worked with local nonprofits, urged the city to create a coordinated approach to rehousing and job opportunities rather than relying on enforcement alone.

Staff and the city attorney noted similar ordinances exist in other Texas cities and said the draft is modeled to allow officers to address obstruction and safety issues while offering initial warnings. Interim Chief Branson cited the City of Austin and the City of Georgetown as examples of municipalities that have adopted comparable language.

City Attorney (name not provided) formally read the ordinance title into the record as an amendment to Chapter 19 (Offenses—Miscellaneous) to add regulations on sitting, lying down or sleeping in public, aggressive panhandling, soliciting and obstructing sidewalks, provide penalties and include severability and repeal language. The council did not vote on the ordinance; it was introduced for further consideration at a later meeting.

Council members asked staff to solicit recommendations and public feedback before the next reading. Mayor Pro Tem Sammerich and other council members emphasized the measure is intended as a tool for officers, not an immediate punitive approach, and invited nonprofit partners to submit suggestions.

The city will return the ordinance to the council for a subsequent reading and potential vote. Meanwhile staff said enforcement would remain complaint-driven and that officers would continue to attempt voluntary compliance before issuing warnings or citations.