The Taylorville City Council met this evening, and one of the big topics of discussion didn’t even get voted on. Earlier in the year, the City Council voted on a city tax on cannabis IF the city was going to allow the sale of it. Tonight, the motion that was on the table was centered around an earlier ordinance committee meeting, where most city council members were against it. This motion was that the city aldermen would vote NO on cannabis being sold in the city of Taylorville. City Attorney, Rocky Romano advised the council to table the motion.

Aldermen Ernie Dorchinecz and Lee Lanzotti put the motion into effect to be tabled. The council wasn’t allowed to discuss it since it was a tabled motion. The motion passed 5-3 in favor of tabling with Aldermen Megan Bryant, Larry Budd, Ernie Dorchinecz, Lee Lanzotti, and Jim Olive, voting yes on tabling it and Aldermen Shawn Burtle, Chris Skultety, and Kathy Driskell voting no. Alderman Shawn Burtle was puzzled as to why the council voted on something earlier that the majority of the council was eventually going to say no too. He questioned City Attorney Rocky Romano in the public comments section of the meeting.

Romano explained that the Illinois Municipal League had most cities put forward the motion for taxing cannabis with the understanding that if cities opted out they could just rescind it. Alderman Burtle said it just seemed like a lot of extra work for nothing. Burtle didn't understand the need for tabling the motion.

The motion will get sent back to committee for more discussion on whether or not Taylorville will allow cannabis to be sold in the city. Even if the city is allowed to sell cannabis most likely it wouldn’t be for quite a few years, as cities that already sell medical marijuana would have first priority.