Aurora Council Mistake Rejects Butcher Shop

The Aurora City Council said they mistakenly voted against a controversial butcher shop

UPDATE: Aurora City Council ended up voting down the idea of a controversial butcher shop without even knowing it, the Daily Herald reports.

Aurora aldermen thought they voted 6-5 in favor of giving Fermin's Poultry a permit to slaughter poultry on site Tuesday night. But on Wednesday morning council members realized their mistake: Aurora city codes require seven votes for the approval of an ordinance.

Council members do not anticipate voting on the issue again, but it will be discussed if one of the five members who voted against the ordinance changes their vote.

Local residents, including the local animal welfare league located across the street, were not in favor of the shop being put in their neighborhood. 


Aurora's city council voted Tuesday night to approve a controversial butcher shop across the street from an animal welfare league.  

In a 5-5 tie, Mayor Tom Weisner cast the deciding vote to approve a conditional use permit for Fermin's Poultry. The permit allows the shop to slaughter and sell poultry on site, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The first of it's kind in Aurora, Fermin's Poultry plans on slaughtering chickens, turkeys, ducks and rabbits to sell. The shop has a clean history and followed all conditions set by the council, according to Ald. Rich Mervine (8th Ward), but neighbors still see problems with the new shop -- including one obvious one.

Fermin's Poultry is located across the street from the Fox Valley Animal Welfare League and Aurora Animal Control.

Local residents continue to express their concern for the placement of the butcher shop, the Daily Herald reports. Residents and animal welfare members feel that visitors will be put off by the shop and might even witness the slaughtering process.

Still, Mervine said, Aurora Animal Control is not a no-kill shelter and will euthanize animals when they are unable to find homes for animals or if the shelter becomes too full. Weisner echoed Mervine's reasoning before casting his vote in favor of the shop.

Fermin's Poultry shop owner, Fermin Benitez of Aurora, told the paper he knows he will be under the watchful eyes of both the city and residents. “He will be under heavy scrutiny,” Mervine said. “He knows he can't stumble.”

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