By Shane Scoggins
Publisher
CARNESVILLE – Alcohol sales in the unincorporated parts of Franklin County will be on the ballot Tuesday in a special referendum.
Voters will decide four different questions concerning the sale of alcohol.
The questions are:
• “Shall the governing authority of Franklin County be authorized to permit and regulate Sunday sales of distilled spirits or alcoholic beverages for beverage purposes by the drink?”
• “Shall the governing authority of Franklin County be authorized to permit and regulate package sales by retailers of malt beverages, wine and distilled spirits on Sundays between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.?”
• “Shall the issuance of licenses for the package sale of distilled spirits be approved?”
• “Shall the governing authority of Franklin County be authorized to issue licenses to sell distilled spirits for beverage purposes by the drink, such sales to be for the consumption only on the premises?”
Regular county polling locations will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The final two days of early voting will be held today and Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Franklin County Elections and Registration Office in Carnesville.
City voters in Canon, Lavonia and Carnesville will have the referendum included on their ballots for council races, while Royston voters will have to go to the Depot to vote in the alcohol referendum and City Hall to vote in municipal elections.
Efforts to put alcohol on the ballot began after an internet survey of residents found 80.6 percent of those responding were in favor of sales in the unincorporated county.
But there has been opposition.
Commissioners split on calling for the vote.
Commission Chairman Jason Macomson had to break three separate 2-2 ties of the board to allow the measure to move forward.
Supporters say allowing alcohol sales in the unincorporated areas will allow another tax revenue stream for the county and won’t be much of a change since alcohol is already allowed in all five cities.
But County Commissioner Robert Franklin was vocal in his opposition, saying that any additional tax revenue will have to go to the sheriff’s office for additional law enforcement.
Commissioners also heard from several citizens, including former Chairman Thomas Bridges, who spoke against the idea of allowing alcohol sales in the county.