Alcohol Group’s Work Is Done

— The group that led the successful push for retail alcohol sales in Benton County filed its dissolution papers with the Arkansas Ethics Commission earlier this month after spending more than $700,000 on the effort.

At A Glance

Keep Dollars in Benton County

Expenses from February through November

• National Ballot Access, Georgia: $472,270 for signature gathering

• Wright Strategies, Little Rock: $61,487 for consulting

• Vanadis 3 Companies, North Little Rock: $37,022 for consulting

• Ghidotti Communications, Little Rock: $33,741 for consulting

• Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard, Rogers: $32,802 for legal advice

• Jay Allen Communications, Fayetteville: $9,000 for consulting

Source: Arkansas Ethics Commission

Keep Dollars in Benton County raised $702,039 over nine months to place the question of alcohol sales on the Nov. 6 ballot and encourage supporters to vote. Walmart heirs and brothers Steuart and Tom Walton shouldered most of the donations, contributing $632,438 to the cause.

“The community was ready,” said Marshall Ney, spokesman for Keep Dollars in Benton County. “All that needed to happen was someone to step up and remove the financial barrier to the ballot. We’re fortunate that part of the Walton family came forward to remove that barrier.”

To make it to the ballot, the group had to obtain signatures from 38 percent of the registered voters in the county. The necessary total came to 41,171 signatures. The Benton County Clerk’s Office certified 43,307 signatures on July 23.

Twenty-two different businesses and individuals donated to the group, with many small contributions coming in October. The largest business donations came from E-Z Mart, $22,000; Kum & Go, $20,000; and Casey’s General Store, $10,000.

Expenses totaled $703,039 from February to November, according to the group’s Dec. 5 financial report. More than half went to National Ballot Access, the Georgia firm charged with putting boots on the ground to gather signatures. The company was paid $472,270 for services between February and July.

Dozens of petitioners with the company stood outside restaurants, attended community events and even worked drive-through stations for months to gather the needed signatures. When the group had enough signatures in mid-July, boxes of petitions were delivered to the County Clerk’s Office for certification. Staff in the office worked around the clock to certify valid signatures within the required 10 days.

“I don’t anticipate anything ever being that big again,” said Tena O’Brien, Benton County clerk. “It took a big majority of my staff to verify the petitions, but we did it.”

Ballot question committees like Keep Dollars in Benton County must log their contributions and expenses with the state each month while working for or against a ballot issue. In its notice of dissolution, Keep Dollars in Benton County noted that it had no money left on hand.

“Our work is done,” Ney said. “It’s time for private enterprise and the free market to go to work.”

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