Mayor: Pink Pony Conflict Not a 'Moral Crusade'

The City of Brookhaven's ongoing dispute with the Pink Pony strip club and its recently approved sexually oriented business ordinance are not part of a "moral crusade," Mayor J. Max Davis said Tuesday.

"We’re taking a lot of flack on this issue, and I want folks to realize the decisions we’ve made are not made out of some moral crusade," Davis said during the city council's regular Tuesday meeting, according to Reporter Newspapers. "They’re made after lots and lots of thought and lots of discussion and lots of debate."

Davis' comments occurred after a public comment session regarding an amendment to the ordinance that sought to clarify it. Pink Pony's attorney, Aubrey Villines, protested the ordinance, and Davis asked him to offer legal language that would allow the Pink Pony to continue to operate while keeping new adult businesses out. But Davis spoke against the advice of city attorney Bill Riley who asked the mayor not to negotiate with Villines from the council dais without the full council's consent.

"I don't care if you think it's inappropriate," Davis said to Riley. "I’m just trying to get some questions answered because we’re the ones getting the mailers with our faces on it. We’re the ones that are getting the phone calls and emails."

The Pink Pony has sued the city, claiming its ordinance – which prohibits the sale of alcohol at establishments featuring nude dancing – would unlawfully put it out of business.

Read also:

• City Paid $40K to Attorney Who Worked On Adult Business…
• City Asks Court to Throw Out Pink Pony Lawsuit
• City Offers Q&A on Sexually Oriented Business Ordinance
• Brookhaven Halts Enforcing Ordinance Against the Pink Pony