Capacity crowd airs grievances about proposed Saxonburg event ordinance
Local business owner Doug Sprankle, far right, speaks during the borough council meeting Tuesday, July 18. William Pitts/Butler Eagle
No decisions made at Tuesday night’s meeting
SAXONBURG — Over the past month, borough residents have gotten a look at the first draft of a controversial events ordinance that could reshape business in the town. Many are just as unhappy about it as they have been over the last few months.
Many of those residents packed Saxonburg’s town hall on Tuesday, July 18, to air their grievances at the monthly council meeting.
The bulk of the criticism came from small business owners who fear that the event ordinance, if passed, would threaten the existence of events such as Sprankle’s Octoberfest. These events, they maintain, provide a much-needed economic boost to local businesses by bringing in people who don’t normally visit.
