Cab Franchise's Bumpy Road Continues

There is no love lost on the dais at City Council this morning. The ever-contentious taxi franchise came up first, with the battle lines between Mike Martinez and Betty Dunkerley drawn sharper than ever. Martinez led the insurgency awarding the franchise to cab co-op Lone Star, while Dunkerley, a former city staffer who's gotten her hands dirty dealing with franchises before, wanted to stick with staff-recommended Capital City Cab. On today's second reading, the mayor pro tem made an amended motion continuing with Lone Star but adding language to "clearly state" 51% of the company be owned by the co-op's owner-operators – seemingly to make sure a few big funders don't swoop in and buy up most the company's shares.

Martinez bristled somewhat at the requirements, which would also codify the computerized dispatch system Lone Star promised – indeed, if the other company was awarded the franchise, would they have to hop through the same hoops? "I'm not sure we can change criteria for awarding the franchise in middle of the game. … I'm curious as to how we're able to issue additional criteria at that point," he said.

Moreover, the thing passed, but only 4-3, with Sheryl Cole, Brewster McCracken, and Dunkerley – the motion's sponsor, if we're not mistaken – voting no. Third reading is now scheduled for May 17, when Cap City CEO Zak Foto returns from a medical visit.