MACON, Ga. — On Monday, the Macon-Bibb County commissioners discussed a liquor license request they received from The Cotton Ranch.
Mayor Lester Miller wanted to hold off on the vote for the license because his office had received concerns about how the restaurant was operating. Complaints ranged from not paying employees proper wages to using a special events permit to serve alcohol.
According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, a special event permit is "required when the provision of alcohol is tied to any monetary exchange or transfer of funds, and the location where the event will be held does not hold a state retail alcohol license."
Miller says this is a loophole businesses may use to get around an actual license. As for the employee's paycheck, The Cotton Ranch owner, Todd Miles, says it was a misunderstanding about one employee's paycheck.
"We got a picture of it. It shows that it was direct deposited into his account on Friday -- to which he ended up receiving it on Monday," Miles said.
Their payroll system is set up through a payment card or direct deposit. Miles says the employee's bank is a generic online bank, but his paycheck wasn't processed until Monday because the online bank wasn't open over the weekend.
Miles says he's frustrated about the false complaints people have made online.
"Don't believe a keyboard warrior because, most of the time, they're fake profiles," Miles said.
Mayor Miller says lawyers are looking into the allegations and what can be done if there is any wrongdoing. He says he wants to be open and transparent about the process.
"We want to make sure everybody gets treated fairly and equitably across the board, and this is just one of those things that we continue to work with through policy to make sure that everyone is clear on what they can and cannot do," Miller said.
One of the managers for The Cotton Ranch, Eve Wise, says they have a temporary license to serve alcohol and have "it displayed on the bar," and they have been making sure they have the proper licenses to operate.