Posted 2:36 am Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Alcohol Petition Meets Signature Requirement
Commissioners Could Call Election In February
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE -- Cherokee County commissioners can consider calling an alcohol election now that Progress Jacksonville, a special purpose political action committee, has the required number of signatures on petitions.
Two petitions for the sale of beer and wine began circulating earlier this month. They were also available at Brookshire Brothers and Walmart.
One petition would allow the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption at places such as convenience stores and grocery stores. The other would allow restaurants to sell beer and wine without requiring private club memberships.
The measures would not permit package liquor sales.
Mike McEwen, owner of Cherokee Real Estate Co. Inc. and a Progress Jacksonville member, said the group needed 1,010 signatures on each petition but was able to get about 1,300.
"It took a little over a week to get the signatures. ΓΆΒ?Β» There were a few instances of people taking exception, but overall, people were acceptive of the initiative. I don't think we expected to get them that quickly, but we did," he said.
Now that Progress Jacksonville has the required number of signatures, they must be verified by the county.
Deputy Voter Registrar Connie Quine said she will look at the person's name, address and birthday, among other things, to make sure the person is a Jacksonville resident.
"Quite a few could be invalid if some are not inside the city limits," she said, adding that probably 10 percent of the signatures were invalid when Rusk had its alcohol election this spring.
McEwen said he does not anticipate the same thing happening in Jacksonville.
He said Rusk is a smaller town, so some signatures could have been from people who live outside the city limits.
As of Tuesday, the petitions had not been turned in to the county clerk's office.
County Clerk Laverne Lusk said the petitions were issued Dec. 2 and may be circulated for 60 days.
Once the petitions are turned in, Ms. Quine has 30 days to verify signatures.
She said she would then go to Cherokee County commissioners with her findings, and they would decide whether to call an election.
Progress Jacksonville hopes to have the alcohol election in May.
In the meantime, the group is in the process of seeking contributions.
McEwen said he and other members have contacted local convenience store operators who will benefit if Jacksonville goes wet.
Some committee members also are willing to contribute, he said.
"Until we get close to Election Day, I don't think there will be a lot of paid publicity," McEwen said. "All of us are cautiously optimistic about this. I think the next phase will simply be when we start actively seeking people's vote in favor of the initiative."
