An official is concerned about panhandlers asking for money in The Villages.
Community Development District 4 Supervisor Cliff Wiener said he is concerned about panhandlers at Mulberry Grove Plaza.
“I don’t like to see panhandlers in The Villages,” said Wiener, who is also the president of the Property Owners Association.
He said the panhandlers are causing a potentially dangerous situation.
“Somebody who is stopping to give them money is going to cause an accident,” Wiener said.
Benjamin Adams, district commander in The Villages for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, reminded supervisors that more than a decade ago, Marion County passed an anti-panhandling ordinance several years ago, but it was the subject of a legal challenge. The panhandling ordinance required panhandlers to obtain a license, pay a fee, and provide personal information. The ordinance also prohibited panhandling in certain areas and at certain times. However, the ordinance was challenged in court and later repealed.
He said the sheriff’s office worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to trespass panhandlers from property near roadways.
“So they go someplace they aren’t trespassed,” Adams said.
