JACKSON -- For the first time in Assistant City Administrator Steve Walker's 12-year tenure with the City of Jackson, a referendum vote to decide whether to allow Sunday liquor sales in Jackson will take place at Jackson City Hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The idea was originally brought before the city council months ago by business owner Pantaleon Mata, who plans to open an El Mariachi Mexican restaurant in Jackson in May. He already owns similar businesses in Fairmont and Austin, both of which serve Sunday liquor.
When the council decided to look into holding a referendum, which is needed to amend the city's code to allow the liquor sales on Sunday, it was told a vote of this kind could cost as much as $2,500. It tried to have the referendum vote added to a Jackson County Central school district general election that took place last fall, but the district said it was too late to allow the city's measure on the ballot.
Having never held a referendum vote before, city officials had to investigate the logistics of such a vote. They called other cities and found they had the right to charge the cost of the vote to the business owner who had requested it. However, officials opted not to go that route.
"The council decided he would be only one of the business owners that would benefit from it," Walker said. "So the city is doing it."
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Walker estimated the cost of the referendum at about $1,000, much less than the council anticipated, because only one polling site is required, and there is no cost of ballots. The ballot to be used is plain paper, instead of a more expensive variety ordered for general elections.
If the referendum is passed, businesses with an existing liquor license could add the Sunday license for an additional $150. They would need to fit within guidelines that say any club, restaurant, bowling alley or hotel can sell liquor on Sunday in conjunction with the sale of food.
Walker said he hasn't heard any rumblings about whether the vote will pass, but added that the city did get several requests for absentee ballots.
"I kind of thought the businesses downtown would do some promoting to get the word out, but I haven't seen any," Walker said. "It is hard to say how many will come out."
The Jackson Econolodge is currently the only business in town to serve Sunday liquor, having been "grandfathered in" by receiving its license from the county before its property was annexed into the city.
