CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The mayor of a western suburb said he will no longer stand in the way of allowing recreational-use marijuana to be legally sold in his city.
Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke had previously threatened to veto any ordinance allowing recreational marijuana to be legally sold in his city, but in Tuesday’s election, Batavia voters had their say and they're in favor of it.
Of more than 15,000 voters who weighed in on a referendum on legalized pot sales, nearly 63 percent voted in favor of it.
"The voters have spoken. It would be like not agreeing to something else the voters had agreed to and you’re still saying you don’t want to do it. I still don’t think it’s a good idea, but that’s all I can say and we move on. It’s democracy at work," Mayor Schielke said.
Because of the bureaucracy and cost of getting a legalized cannabis outlet approved, Mayor Schielke does not expect such a store opening any time soon in Batavia.
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The referendum was approved by nearly 4,000 votes. The vote was 9,662 to 5,703.
Mayor Schielke said his opposition had come from what he heard from the parents of children who died of drug overdoses.
"Several times, the words were spoken to me, 'Well, it all began with marijuana and then it went on to other drugs' and whatever and it ended up with the child dying and so, I had just had enough of that," he said.