One of the newer members of the Mexico city council is making a push to revive the issue of allowing golf carts on city streets.

Larry Webber took a seat on the council back in April and brought the issue up at the last regular meeting on July 10, with a group of citizens in support. About three or four people got up to speak in favor of the issue during public comment.

Webber said he knows smaller cities close by like Centralia and Auxvasse allow golf carts.

“With all due respect to Auxvasse and Centralia they’re smaller than we are,” Webber said. “I would like to see comparisons to cities our size.”

City Administrator Bruce Slagle said the council has taken up the subject in recent times but decided not to pursue the matter. Mayor Vicki Briggs said she still had a lot of material that was presented to the council but didn’t want to revisit it.

“I personally don’t want to get back into it,” Briggs said.

Webber said since he’s taken his seat on the council the subject has been brought up a lot when he speaks with people.

“They keep coming to me saying, ‘Hey we want to see this happen.’” Webber said. “I think we owe them to say we’re going to take a look at it.”

Councilman Chris Williams said he would like to see some comparisons but said if he’s going to support having golf cars ATVs have to be included in the discussion.

“It’s not fair to do one and not do the other,” Williams said. 

Councilman Steve Haag said in support that if bigger cities are doing it why not Mexico?

“I think we can argue the fact of smaller communities but when you throw O’Fallon in there you can’t argue anymore,” Haag said. “They do it in basically a suburb of St. Louis.”

Williams said bigger cities may allow golf cars but that doesn’t mean they’re not having issues. He said city staff should reach out to O’Fallon.

“It’s easy to say they allow it but we don’t know the ins and outs and what that looks like,” Williams said.

Some brought up concerns about driving golf cars on state highways. Haag said in his hometown the main street is a state highway and golf cars go up and down it all day.

“I don’t think they’re going to be driving five miles on a golf car,” Haag said. “If you live in town and want to jump over a couple of blocks I don’t see a problem with it.”