The Watering Hole & Illusions is on its way to becoming Dallas County’s newest … watering hole.

The Selma City Council approved a liquor license Tuesday night for the future business at 2100 Highway West in a 7-1 vote with Councilwoman Bennie Ruth Crenshaw absent. Councilwoman Rita Sims Franklin was the dissenting vote. The matter will now go before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in Montgomery.

Perkins also posed a question to Franklin after the vote, asking her why she voted against the measure.

The measure was brought before the City Council as a result of a public safety committee meetings held Monday.

In that meeting, Rickman E. Williams &045;&045; attorney representing CJ’s Oyster Bar and Grill owner Chandra Jo Prather &045;&045;

said if the liquor license to Prather’s newest business venture, The Watering Hole & Illusions, was granted, live entertainment at the oyster bar would be curtailed.

CJ’s Oyster Bar and Grill has received a number of noise complaints since late February, and nearby business owner Kathi Needham and St. James General Manager Janet Dawkins both spoke before the council Monday.

In other matters the council:

n Heard from Mayor James Perkins Jr. about pay raises for city employees scheduled to begin April 1. President George Evans said he liked the idea of raises for employees, but was concerned about the city’s financial situation.

Councilwoman Nancy Sewell, who had brought the motion of pay raises to the floor, withdrew it after discussion.

n Heard from Perkins about approximately $70,000 owed to Dallas County because of an error in taxes.

According to Perkins, Allstate Beverage Company Inc., 1580 Parallel St., was sending its taxes to Selma when they should have been sent to Dallas County.

The error continued for close to three years.

n Heard from Justin Perkins, Youth in Government Mayor. Justin Perkins said he was speaking on behalf of Selma’s youth as he petitioned the council to fund the Youth Summer Employment Program this year.

Sewell said she didn’t want the plea to fall on deaf ears; Evans said the council would look to industry and businesses to aide the program.