Resident criticizes Statesboro massage-parlor ordinance as outdated; city says code overhaul is underway
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Summary
A massage therapist told the Statesboro council the city ordinance governing massage parlors is outdated and demeaning; city officials acknowledged the code is old and said many local ordinances defer to state law while a comprehensive update is in progress.
During the March 18 public-comment period, a longstanding local massage therapist urged the Statesboro Mayor and Council to update a city ordinance he said treats legitimate practitioners unfairly and conflicts with state law.
Thomas Redfern, who said he has worked in the community since 2001, told the council the city’s ordinance is roughly 30 years old and includes provisions he described as demeaning and inconsistent with current professional practice. Redfern said the ordinance requires medical testing and contains language that, in his view, does not align with state law or current massage-therapy practice.
The mayor and city staff responded that many sections of the city code are historical and that the city has been working through an update process. The mayor said the city has typically deferred to state law on massage-practice issues and that a full ordinance rewrite is forthcoming; the mayor also said the city is not currently enforcing the older massage-specific provisions. When asked about enforcement, the police chief replied that the department had not made arrests under the massage-parlor provision described by the commenter.
Redfern asked council members to review the ordinance and consider changes; he offered to provide marked-up text he had highlighted. City officials encouraged patience while the broader code update proceeds and said they want legitimate businesses and practitioners to succeed while also protecting public safety.
The council did not take immediate action on the ordinance during the meeting; staff said the code update remains an ongoing work item.
