Amid what has become an almost intractable problem, Leon County commissioners are considering an ordinance that would target “solicitation,” including panhandling, on private property.
At Tuesday’s commission meeting, the board voted 6-1 – with Commissioner David O’Keefe opposing – to set the first public hearing for the proposed local law on Feb. 20.
“It would provide some relief to our business community,” Commissioner Brian Welch said. But O’Keefe said the ordinance would hurt rather than help, by needlessly “imposing more penalties on people,” he said.
This ordinance follows the county’s recent, previous attempts to pass a local law that critics said amounted to criminalizing homelessness.
The proposed ordinance would make it “unlawful to solicit (in this case, ask for money) on private property without the express permission of the property owner.” Doing so could lead to fines of up to $500 or detention of around 60 days.
State law allows those “convicted of violating a municipal ordinance (to) be sentenced to pay a fine, not to exceed $500, and may be sentenced to a definite term of imprisonment, not to exceed 60 days….”