People in parts of 2 central Arkansas cities to vote on old alcohol ban

The cities of Jacksonville and Sherwood -- which want to expand economic development opportunities-- have jointly campaigned to overturn an alcohol ban from about 60 years ago during a special election scheduled for today.

Eligible people will be asked to vote for or against the sale of alcoholic beverages and on-premises consumption within the defunct Gray Township voting district that overlaps Sherwood and Jacksonville.

Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. today.

There are an estimated 23,920 eligible voters in the former Gray Township election area that includes most of Jacksonville, the portion of Sherwood north of Maryland Avenue and a smaller part of unincorporated Pulaski County.

Each city's election is independent of the other, meaning the issue could pass in one and fail in the other, or both could pass or fail.

Having the alcohol ban has restricted the two cities, Jacksonville especially, from attracting new restaurants, Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher has said. In Sherwood, alcohol sales are allowed in the part of the city south of Maryland Avenue.

Fletcher said recently that the prohibition on by-the-drink sales "really limits our ability when it comes to economic development, especially in attracting national chain restaurants." When potential restaurants discover that alcohol sales are not allowed in most of the city, "it's like a wall goes up," he said.

"We're the same way," Marcia Cook, executive director for the Sherwood Chamber of Commerce, said of the affected area of Sherwood.

During the 1950s, voters in the now-defunct Gray Township approved the ban on alcohol. That prohibition still exists, even though many such voting districts were abolished across Pulaski County in the 1980s.

The measure, if it passes, would allow on-premises, by-the-drink alcohol sales at restaurants. A ban on liquor stores, bars and clubs within the township's limits would remain even if the measure passes. Grocery stores and gas stations still wouldn't be able to legally sell wine or beer.

With the passage of Act 144 in the most recent legislative session, the ability for cities to do away with their "dry" sections became more feasible. The act, co-sponsored by state Rep. Bob Johnson, D-Jacksonville, allows city councils to call elections to change their alcohol laws.

A previous state law required petitioners to gather signatures from 15 percent of the electorate in order to hold a special election related to alcohol consumption. Attempts to reach the required number of petition signatures in the old Gray Township in 2013 and 2015 both failed.

Metro on 11/14/2017