Jacksonville discussing restrictions on pawn, payday loan, and title pawn businesses

The Jacksonville City Council wants to limit the number of pawn shops, payday loan stores, and title pawn businesses before any more come to town.

The council read an ordinance Monday that would limit the number of pawn shops to five, and prevent them from opening within 500 feet of each other, or a residence.

Though the five-member council took the first legal step toward enacting the restrictions, it can’t take effect until the council votes to approve them. That could happen as soon as its next meeting. But the council may delay the vote to make changes to the ordinance they read Monday.

That’s because there are still some questions about the document among council members. They agree that the city needs to restrict the number of quick loan shops, but some are opposed to adding the distance restrictions, and others question whether the restriction should also limit the number of pawn shops.

Councilman Jonathan Tompkins said he would like the council to reconsider the location restrictions, adding that he thinks the city should be reluctant to approve laws that limit its residents. Council President Mark Jones agreed.

Mayor Johnny Smith also said a local businessman had called to complain about the plan’s impact on pawn shops, saying it would make it harder to fill rentable buildings.

The mayor said the city may want to tweak the ordinance before moving forward. If it does, the city would have to draft a new document and start the process over.

That means, unless the bill had unanimous support, a vote in the matter could be pushed back to April. With unanimous support, however, the council could draft and approve amended rules that limit quick loan and pawn shops at its next meeting later this month.