Tampa City Council Drops Proposal to Require Special Permit to Serve Alcohol After Midnight
May yet come back
In a hail of opposition from business owners, a Tampa City Council proposal to curb crime by requiring special permits for alcohol sales after midnight died Thursday morning.
The measure could be reborn with input from a committee of business owners, neighborhood residents and government officials.
Council Chairman Charlie Miranda called for the community-wide effort after opposition mounted against the proposal by Councilwoman Yvonne Yolie Capin for late-night permits.
Council members arrived at Old City Hall on Thursday morning to find a roomful of angry business owners facing them across the dais.
Opponents of the proposal spent more than an hour telling council members the proposal is a threat to their livelihoods. They also said it would punish well-behaved businesses just to catch a few bad operators.
