FULTON, MO. -- Westminster College went smoke-free Thursday, but the fight to get a citywide smoking ban in Fulton is just beginning.

Veteran's Foreign Wars Bar Manager Tom Maupin is not happy.

"I think this is an extremely poor time to try and do this," Maupin said.

Maupin said restaurants are having a hard time making a profit in the tough economy, already. He's disgusted that residents who would probably never come to his business are trying to place restrictions on the way he operates.

"I should have the right to choose the kind of clients that I want to attract," Maupin said.

Earlier this week the Fulton City Council rejected a proposal that would put a smoking ban on the November ballot.

But that's not stopping a local group from trying to make that happen according to Mayor Charlie Latham.

"I think the 'Fresh Air Fulton' folks will be able to get enough signatures to get it placed on the November ballot," Latham said.

Latham said this is an issue where people are either extremely passionate about it, or they have no opinion.

Fresh Air Fulton will need about 700 signatures to take a smoking ban to the voters this Fall.

The proposed ordinance calls for smokers to be at least 15 feet from the door of any business. If anyone is caught violating the law, the business will be fined for not enforcing the ordinance. After a third offense, a business could lose its merchant license.

Latham estimates about 75 percent of the restaurants in Fulton are already smoke free, and putting the measure on the ballot would have been expensive.

"Anytime an entity chooses to go smoke free that's great, any time the government imposes a new regulation on the people, I think you need to be real careful with that," Latham said.