Talk of the Town with Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges

We asked Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges three questions regarding the village board’s vote to ban recreational marijuana sales within the village.

Are you happy with how the vote went?
It really isn’t a matter of being happy about the vote, but I’m happy for the community that the vote went the way it did. 

Do you think the board made the correct decision?
The board did a great job being transparent to the community, offering opportunities for the community to be heard and doing the research to make the right decision for the Village of St. Joseph. 

Over the past several months I’ve had an overwhelming response from the community young and old to not allow it to be sold in St. Joseph.  So with that I believe the majority of our residents will be pleased with the vote to opt out.  Now the board can focus on how to bring businesses to the community that the residents want and will support.      

Would you be open to readdressing the issue in the future after you see how it goes in other towns?

Over time the village may readdress the issue, but that would depend on the demand from the local residents and whether or not the village could properly regulate the adding of a recreational marijuana business in our community.  When the village changed from a dry town to a wet town the residents were the ones who pushed for the initiative to make that change.