DeKalb bars can stay open until 2 a.m. Friday mornings following a hotly contested vote by the city council Monday night.

Mayor Greg Sparrow broke a 3-3 split in favor of the extended hours, despite the vigorous protests of 17 DeKalb residents who attended the council meeting.

Sparrow said he “finds it tough to accept that the entire structure of DeKalb can be affected by one hour.”

First Ward Ald. Amy Polzin, 6th Ward Ald. Jamie Pennington and 7th Ward Ald. Jeff Monroe also voted for the extension. Second Ward Ald. Michael Welsh, 4th Ward Ald. Rita Tewksbury and 5th Ward Ald. Bessie Chronopoulos voted against the ordinance.

Tewksbury said she is concerned the bar owners will not stop asking for more hours. Chronopoulos said she “fails to see how the increase will benefit the city.”

Polzin said the extension was a “reasonable request” but she would not vote for anything more than this one hour.

Former 3rd Ward Ald. Bill Hanna said bar owners brought the request to the council “knowing the total population of DeKalb is not represented” because the 3rd ward seat is vacant.

“The bar owners brought this issue before the council apparently with the assurance from the mayor that he would break the tie in their favor,” he said.

However, Sparrow said, “I wouldn’t advocate my position as a way to get friends or votes.”

Most DeKalb residents who spoke at the meeting opposed the extension, fearing it would foster alcohol-related problems among NIU students. Some also complained that the extra hour would require the city to spend more for police services.

“We need to rid ourselves of the drunken town image,” said DeKalb resident Laurie Roff.

Police Chief Donald Berke, who opposed the hour extension, nevertheless said “the extra hour would not have a significant effect on the (police) department.”

At the meeting, bar owners presented a petition they said contained over 1,000 signatures of people who are for the later closing hour.

“Business owners don’t understand what it’s like to run a business with so many regulations,” said Chris Carpenter, from Amnesia, 1000 W. Lincoln Highway.

The new ordinance will go into effect March 7.