Council says no to liquor license

Published 10:33 pm Monday, November 10, 2014

The Selma City Council voted down a lounge retail liquor lounge license for Barbers and Billiards. The business is located at 2899 Citizens Parkway.

Angela Benjamin, Sam Randolph, Benny Tucker and Michael Johnson voted to approve the license.

Corey Bowie, Cecil Williamson, Greg Bjelke and Bennie Ruth Crenshaw voted against it.

Email newsletter signup

Councilwoman Susan Keith was absent from Monday’s meeting after a recent surgery.

With the tie, the application was denied. Randolph asked to change his vote to a “no” so he could bring up the license again at a future meeting.

Randolph said he had recently spent some time at the business and saw nothing that should prevent the owners from having the license. He said the city should support the young entrepreneurs.

“These are some decent guys. These are church-going men,” he said.

In voting for the application, Benjamin said she would like for the owners to have a chance.

“[We can] give it and take it back if something happens,” Benjamin said.

Crenshaw voted no and said business owners could be successful without selling alcohol.

“What is success? Success to me isn’t always opening a place selling alcohol,” Crenshaw said.