The Brooklet City Council has begun the process to place a referendum on Sunday alcohol sales on the November 2017 ballot.
Council voted on the issue at their regularly-scheduled meeting Thursday night. Very little discussion took place, though it was an agenda item set ahead of time to be discussed.
The motion was made by Councilman Stanoff and seconded by Councilman Griffith. It passed unanimously in a voted of 3-0, however, Councilman Newman said he was voting YEAH “reluctantly.” Councilmen Schlierf and Davis were not present at Thursday’s meeting.
The next step is for council members to have a second reading of the referendum, which will take place at the August council meeting on August 17. A resolution to formally place the measure on the ballot will then be placed before council and members will vote to adopt or deny the resolution.
If the resolution passes, it will be up to voters to decide the fate of Sunday alcohol sales two and a half months later.
The charter for the City of Brooklet does not require that a public hearing be held ahead of the vote to place the measure on the ballot.
Brooklet currently allows the sale of beer and wine Monday through Saturday. The City of Statesboro and Bulloch County both allow Sunday alcohol sales of beer and wine, as well as the serving of alcoholic beverages at food establishments on Sundays after 11:45 a.m. The Town of Register has also voted on a similar referndum, which was rejected by voters.
Many counties in Georgia still prohobit alcohol sales on federal, state, and local election days and few counties and cities remain with Sunday sales prohibitions in place. More recently, the City of Rincon in neighboring Effingham County, in November 2016, passed a measure to allow Sunday alcohol sales.
The City of Reidsville in Tattnall County voted earlier this year to place a referendum for Sunday alcohol sales on the November ballot.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Council meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.
