WILMINGTON — After failing to pass an ordinance regarding the topic of horse-drawn carriage tours in Wilmington, City Council is once again poised to vote on a new set of rules that would expand the number of tour operators allowed to operate in the city.
As it currently stands there is only one tour company operating in Wilmington and that company holds all of the permits. If approved, the new regulations would switch to a medallion system offering a total of seven medallions, or permits.
One company could only own a maximum of four of the seven permits, opening the doors to new businesses.
The proposed regulations would also offer the horses some protections through animal welfare requirements, but according to some, these don’t go far enough to protect the horses.
Related: Proposed horse-drawn carriage regulations does little to protect animal welfare
City Council will meet Tuesday evening and will have the chance to vote to accept or deny the new regulations — or continue the debate for another day.
