Posted 1:15 am Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Rusk Voters To Consider Liquor Sales
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Two years after approving beer and wine sales, Rusk residents will decide whether to sell liquor in their town as well.
The City Council last week called an election to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption, meaning liquor could be sold in stores. The issue will be on the May 12 ballot.
Rusk resident Martha Neely said John Hatch, with Texas Petition Strategies,
an Austin-based local-option consulting firm, asked her to put her name on a petition for the election so it could be filed.
She said she refused for a long time but eventually signed it.
"I was just disappointed some of the young community leaders would not step up and support this, so I (agreed)," Ms. Neely said.
When the petition was turned in last month, after circulating for 30 days, it came in with 450 signatures.
Some signatures couldn't be verified because of old voter registrar numbers, but City Secretary Fran Wendeborn was able to verify 347 signatures -- 55 more than what was needed to call the alcohol election.
Ms. Neely said she doesn't have a strong opinion about the election personally, but she believes it would be good for the community.
"I think Rusk can use the tax revenue. Everybody in this town that drinks is going to get it from wherever, and why not keep the money local?" she said.
Rusk Mayor Angela Raiborn said she has not heard of any official groups campaigning for or against legalizing the sale of liquor. But if the measure does pass, she said the city will do what it can to make it a smooth transition.
"As a city, we'll do what we need to do to make sure ... we have things in place to keep the town looking nice ...," she said. "We'll handle it whatever happens."
This is the second time that Rusk has considered an election to legalize liquor sales.
In August, Cherokee County commissioners rejected a petition to legalize liquor sales because it did not have the required amount of valid signatures.
Rusk voters legalized the sale of beer and wine and the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants in May 2009.
