STALLINGS — Stallings will not follow in Marvin’s footsteps to adopt a golf cart ordinance allowing residents to drive carts on public roads. The Town Council voted unanimously Monday to deny such an ordinance.

“I think it’s going to burden our Police Department,” Councilwoman Renee Hartis said before the vote. Other council members shared her concerns.

Shannamara and Emerald Lake are among the subdivisions that asked for an ordinance, although some residents did not want one as restrictive as the town proposed. Both neighborhoods have golf courses, and several residents want to drive golf carts from their homes to the neighborhood clubhouse or pool, Town Manager Brian Matthews said.

Marvin recently adopted its own golf cart ordinance, effective Thursday.

Prior to the meeting, Matthews said Stallings’ proposed ordinance mirrored Marvin’s “almost word for word.”

“It was very similar to what we needed,” he said, adding that there were only a “handful” of changes.

Had the council adopted the ordinance, residents could have driven their golf carts on roads with a 25 mph or less speed limit. Golf carts can go only 20 mph.

The ordinance also said golf carts must be driven on the right edge of the road and yield to vehicles and pedestrians. Operators must have and carry a valid driver’s license and drive the carts within license restrictions.

Carts cannot exceed the maximum passenger capacity, and occupants must be seated in areas designated for passengers. Carrying open containers of alcohol when operating is prohibited.

Stallings Police Chief Larke Plyler was indifferent to the ordinance. “I’m as flat as this floor on whether we have it or we don’t,” he said.

Council members were worried, however, that the ordinance would create too much work for police officers. Councilman Mark Franza said it might be difficult to legislate.

Under the ordinance, golf carts would have been inspected by the Stallings Police Department or its designee. A registration sticker would have been issued.

Councilwoman Barbara Anne Price said the Police Department doesn’t need to spend time on that, and registration is too much of a hassle for residents. “It’s enough that they do it to our cars,” she said.

Hartis suggested leaving such ordinances in the hands of homeowner’s associations, but Matthews pointed out that HOAs have no authority when dealing with state- or town-maintained roads.

After talking to residents of Shannamara and Emerald Lake, some council members said they weren’t sure the ordinance would address their concerns.

Councilman Wyatt Dunn said the main concern in Shannamara seems to be keeping children under 16 years of age from driving golf carts. Many of those who advocated for an ordinance did not want the other restrictions to come with it.

Mayor Lynda Paxton said some residents she talked to were for such an ordinance, but others didn’t see a need for it. Not many residents have carts to begin with, they said, and asking officers to regulate them adds unnecessary work.

The ordinance also outlined required equipment, including two working headlights, turn signals, at least one working brake light and a red lamp on the rear that is visible at night. Golf carts more than 8 feet long must have reflectors on each side of the cart.

“A golf cart on the streets at night, even with lights, … is a dangerous situation,” Paxton said.