Local News - June 2002

City Council says ‘no’ to taxicab service

By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer

June 10, 2002 - Lincolnton is not getting a new taxicab service.

City Council members Thursday denied an application from Helen Seals of Gastonia for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to operate a taxicab business.

Thursday was the second time Seals had come before council with the request. At the May 2 meeting, she was advised to come back when she had secured a location.

Seals told council the service would be operated out of 1046 Reepsville Road, a rental property owned by Craig Gates, Jr.

The business would start out with only two taxis, but would grow with need.

“If the business is good, we’ll get more,” she said.

Seals said at the time she had not finalized all the details, but told council the business would use a telephone dispatch.

Police Chief Terry Burgin had some concerns about the business, noting that there are already two taxi services in the area — Easy Lift in Iron Station and Specialized Transport.

Specialized Transport has been in business for eight years, Burgin said, and only receives one request a day for taxi service.

Easy Lift has been in business for six weeks, and receives two or three per month.

“It’s almost not enough to stay in business,” Burgin said.

Councilman Les Cloninger asked if the two existing business serve the general public.

Burgin said that while the services were geared toward people with medical disabilities, they can also be used by the general public.

Specialized Transport uses seven or eight vehicles, Burgin said, and Easy Lift currently has one.

“It just doesn’t look like we’re in need of any more taxis,” Councilman Fred Houser said.

Seals, who has been in the cab business for 25 years, presented letters of recommendation and petitions to council.

The petition bears the names of 84 people, who according to the document, “feel that there is a genuine need in Lincolnton for a public company, and we feel that the existence of a taxicab would be of great service to the citizens and residents of Lincolnton and to the citizens and residents of Boger City and nearby communities.”

Burgin said he was “amazed by the number of signatures” on the petition.

He said he started randomly calling names on the list. Seventeen of the signers said they didn’t realize other services existed. Some said they personally had no need for a taxi service, and some had signed simply because they were tired of being approached by petitioners, Burgin said.

Mayor Bobby Huitt said he also made random calls to people on the list, and he found that many of the phone numbers are no longer in service.

Burgin said he has found Seals and her partners to be good people, he just questioned the need for taxis.

Councilman Larry Mac Hovis expressed surprise that two businesses already exist.

“If she wants a taxi service, why penalize her because we already have two?” Hovis said. “Whether we have two, three or four, it shouldn’t matter to us.”

Hovis said as long as Seals follows rules and regulations set forth regarding the business, she shouldn’t be denied the certificate.

“To me,” Hovis said, “it doesn’t matter how many taxi services we have.”

Two motions were made — the first by Houser, who moved to deny the certificate. Hovis made a substitute motion to approve the application.

City Manager Jeff Emory and City Attorney Dan Barefoot advised council to first vote on the substitute motion made by Hovis.

Council voted 2-2 on the motion, with Houser and Councilman Carroll Heavner dissenting.

Council then had to vote on Houser’s original motion to deny, which they passed unanimously.

Hovis said he disagreed, but didn’t want to go against the council.

Seals said Friday that she was disappointed with council’s decision.

“I didn’t understand, because we did everything they asked us to do,” Seals said. “I thought we had a good chance.”

Seals said she is not sure if she will pursue the Lincolnton-based taxi service further.

“Right now I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know what else there is to do.”

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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