FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Board of Commissioners, with the mayor breaking a tie vote, on Tuesday advanced an ordinance that would help control the proliferation of computer gaming machines that have cropped up in town.

Mayor Charles Kemp broke a tie vote to approve the first reading of a new gaming ordinance authored by Town Manager Blake Proctor with the assistance of the town’s attorney Rob Price. The ordinance is designed to control computer gaming establishments throughout town, and to eventually ban them from the central downtown area.

“I have to believe I have a pretty good feel for the pulse of this city,” Kemp said. “I know in my heart that this community does not want the downtown district to be a gambling center.”

The ordinance targets computers that are provided by establishments on which people can gamble use the Internet. It does not affect video poker machines.

Kemp said the ordinance is important as the town’s hopes that its downtown be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places next year.

“It will take away from the cultural impact that we are trying to make,” Kemp said. “You are going to have to move it out of the historic area.”

The ordinance says the gaming machines would be banned from the historic district one year after the designation is won, according to Kemp.

Rev. Harold Salmon spoke against the gaming machines.

“Gambling is a menace to society — it takes food off the tables and destroys marriages,” he said.

Al Norris, who owns Sweepstakes on Main Street, also spoke at the meeting.

“I do agree with what the reverend said, but I believe that gambling is like smoking, overeating, or anything else,” Norris said.

Before the vote, Commissioner Wayland Lennon III made an amendment to increase the amount of fees charged to computer gaming businesses. The proposed ordinance would charge a fee of $1,500 per computer per year for machines not connected to the Internet, and a fee of $3,000 per computer per year for those with Internet connection.

Commissioners Lennon, Jay Capps and Wade Sealey voted in favor of the ordinance. Commissioners Charles Townsend, Carol Leak-McKenzie and J.J. McCree voted against its adoption.

Kemp said after the meeting, “We’re not banning these games. We are just zoning them and charging them a privilege fee to operate.”

The ordinance must be voted on again at the December meeting.

In other business:

— Kemp announced that Town Clerk Jenny Larson will step down as Fairmont Farmers Festival chairman. Kemp introduced Jan Tedder-Rogers and her husband Tony Rogers as the co-chairs for the 2010 event.

— The board agreed to allow Norma Mercer, a resident who owns two damaged properties on Main Street, until Jan. 8, 2010, to have the properties fixed to avoid paying fines. The fines of $50 a day began to accrue on Oct. 1.