No more horsing around in the heat: Savannah cracks down on carriage tours

The law, one tour operator warns, could lead to the shuttering of the nearly 50-year-old tourism industry for good. Cara Marshall of Carriage Tours of Savannah calls the 85-degree rule a “ban in disguise,” citing the lost revenue and the $200,000 she spends each year to feed, house and care for her 23 horses.

The council ruling came during a marathon meeting highlighted by more than 90 minutes of public comment on the heat law. The new restriction passed by a 5-4 margin, with Mayor Van Johnson voting against it and threatening to use his veto power to block it because of what it could mean for the city’s two carriage tour operators, both long-established small businesses.

Six council members would have to vote to override his veto.

Credit: Sarah Peacock

Credit: Sarah Peacock

Johnson supported a less strict heat threshold measured as a wet bulb globe temperature, or WBGT. The WBGT takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover and is regularly used by sports teams that practice outdoors in the summer. Johnson proposed to replace the current temperature max with a WBGT of 92 degrees.

But the alderman who championed the law change, Nick Palumbo, cited concerns that the WBGT is confusing to the public and any change should use temperature or heat index. Johnson responded by making a motion to leave the law unchanged. That proposal failed, and Palumbo made the motion to move the standard to 85 degrees.

The council also changed the heat threshold to 92 degrees for the remainder of 2025.

Johnson gave no timeline for his potential veto. The next City Council meeting is Aug. 28.