Taylor council postpones towing-repeal ballot measure after heated debate and public pleas

The Taylor City Council on Monday postponed to Aug. 19, 2025, a resolution to submit a proposed ordinance repealing a 2016 towing‑related resolution to the November ballot, following more than two hours of debate and a flood of public comments.

The measure, introduced by a councilmember to let voters decide whether to repeal the 2016 resolution that underpins the city's towing arrangement, prompted split views among councilmembers about timing and substance. Supporters said residents deserved a direct say; opponents said the item arrived with too little time for review and worried postponement could be used to defeat the proposal procedurally.

“Put it to the people where it belongs,” resident Dan Wallace said during public comment, urging the council not to delay. Several other residents made similar appeals, saying towing practices and fees have harmed vehicle owners and arguing the ballot is the appropriate remedy. Councilmember Ms. Wynton (as recorded in the transcript) argued the 2016 resolution was improperly passed and that voters should correct it.

Opponents said simply repealing the 2016 resolution would not, by itself, deliver a new towing arrangement or an immediate operational fix. “If Ms. Winton is right and we repeal it, we still may be left without a vendor or a clear replacement process,” one councilmember said during debate, urging more substantive repair rather than an immediate repeal. City staff and the corporation counsel repeatedly advised that the county deadline to submit ballot language was Aug. 12 and that postponement could jeopardize placement this year.

The council ultimately approved a subsidiary motion to postpone consideration to a time certain—Aug. 19, 2025—after multiple speakers recommended either a special meeting before the deadline or moving forward that night. The transcript records a roll-call vote and multiple members saying they would vote for the measure on Aug. 19 if procedural concerns were resolved.

The hearing also touched on related litigation. Council discussion noted ongoing lawsuits tied to the towing contract and several members said litigation realities shaped whether a repeal could solve the broader operational problems. The city attorney said in public remarks that repealing the ordinance would “go a long way to solving the problem” in litigation by allowing the council to start fresh on tow-vendor selection; others disputed whether repeal alone would be sufficient.

Next steps: the council set the towing resolution for further consideration at the Aug. 19 meeting, leaving open the option of a special meeting before the county ballot deadline if the council chooses to call one and gives appropriate notice.