Dim future for fortunetellers

By John Labriola - There may not be much of a future in fortuntelling in Citrus County.

The county commission last Tuesday shot down a proposal to ease restrictions on fortunetellers and other occult scam artists looking to set up shop in Citrus.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to keep in place the county's existing ordinance on fortunetellers, which bans applicants with past fraud convictions from obtaining a fortuneteller permit to operate in the county's unincorporated areas. 

The vote came after a number of concerned residents contacted commissioners to urge them to maintain the current rules, which also require fortuneteller permit applicants to have lived in Florida for at least two years and to have at least five character references. 

"I feel if we don't have an ordinance, it just opens up Citrus County to be rife with fraud," said Commissioner Diana Finegan, who pulled the item from the commission's "consent agenda" so it could be discussed.

The county's land development staff had recommended that commissioners set a public hearing in two weeks to eliminate the ordinance following a citizen's inquiry about obtaining a fortuneteller permit. But on Tuesday, commissioners decided enough had been said to close the book on the discusion.

"I don't see the need to open up Pandora's Box any further," said Commissioner Rebecca Bays.

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