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Taylor adopts ordinance restricting sitting, aggressive panhandling downtown after heated public comments
Summary
Taylor City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2025-33 regulating certain conduct downtown — including sitting, lying and aggressive panhandling — after weeks of outreach; supporters said businesses requested enforcement tools, while opponents argued the language criminalizes vulnerable people and urged alternatives.
Taylor City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 22 to adopt Ordinance 2025-33, a city ordinance that defines and penalizes specified conduct downtown — including sitting, lying or sleeping in certain public areas and aggressive panhandling — and emphasizes complaint-based enforcement.
The measure was presented by Police Chief Branson, who told the council the ordinance is meant to give officers a narrowly drawn tool to keep sidewalks and pedestrian ways clear while preserving de‑escalation practices and referrals to social services. "It gives our officers a tool," Branson said, adding that officers are trained to recognize mental‑health and…
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