Horse-Drawn Protest at Madison City Hall

MADISON, AL - Mike Claridy and his horse "Big Annie can often be seen pulling people around downtown Huntsville. Claridy says it only took Huntsville a few weeks to grant him a business license to operate there. He says the City of Madison is an entirely different story. Months later, Claridy says Madison officials are dragging their feet and refusing to grant him a license. He says that is making his business lose money.

"I'm a grown man running a small business and me and my wife, well, we just want to do business in the city of Madison," says Claridy.

But that can't happen until the city grants Claridy a business license which he says he applied for months ago. So Tuesday, out of desperation, he decided to opt for a more unconventional means of speeding along the process.

"I brought my carriage..I'm gonna go down, ask the mayor how he's doing on my license...and offer him a ride," says Claridy.

And that he did. Claridy staged his horse and carriage at the Kroger at the corner of Old Madison Pike and Hughes road around 10 a.m. Tuesday and then road to City Hall, turning heads all along the way. When he arrived he called Mayor Paul Finley's office, "I'm outside with the buggy, and the horse and the news. Tell the mayor I come to take him for a ride."

But Mayor Finley declined his offer. Instead, he offered several explanations as to why the council has yet to approve the company's license. Among those concerns; the safety of Claridy and his passengers, drivers sharing the road and cleaning up the mess inevitably left behind by a horse. Finley says its important to address all of the potential issues before granting him the license.
 
"The biggest thing holding this up is that it has continued to change. When we were initially talking about just the historic district, I think we all felt that was a good area. That since has changed and now he's looking at going throughout the city," says Finley.

But Claridy argues that limiting him to downtown Madison will also limit a huge part of his business. "They're saying we've changed our plan two or three times which we did not. We can't just be downtown, we're in the wedding business also. We shouldn't be discriminated against going to any church in Madison," says Claridy.

Mayor Finley says the City Council is set to discuss Mike Claridy's request once again during the Wednesday night council work session.

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