JPs unanimously oppose a 'wet' Faulkner County

CONWAY -- The Faulkner County Quorum Court voted unanimously Thursday night for a resolution opposing the widespread sale of alcohol in the county, where only private clubs, including restaurants, with liquor licenses now legally sell alcohol.

Two justices of the peace, Frank Shaw and John Pickett, were absent from the specially called meeting because of scheduling conflicts, said David Hogue, the county attorney.

The nonbinding resolution came during a petition drive aimed at allowing county residents to vote in November on whether the county can "go wet."

"This is not about the petition drive," said Justice of the Peace Steve Goode, who proposed the resolution. "This is not an attempt to get anybody to encourage people not to sign a petition."

Rather, this is an effort to say that widespread alcohol sales are "not in the best interest of Faulkner County," based on the financial effect the justices of the peace think such sales would have, Goode said after the meeting.

Key supporters of legalizing the alcohol sales in the county argue the opposite -- that the measure would benefit the area's economy.

However, Justice of the Peace Randy Higgins said the legalization "would be basically a financial drain on the county" and ultimately could mean a tax increase.

Goode said law enforcement expenses would increase if widespread alcohol sales are allowed. He said his research has shown the number of drunken-driving arrests would increase with the change.

The average cost of housing a jail inmate, Goode said, is $68 per day. The sheriff's office also would need to hire two or three additional patrol officers, meaning more salary and fuel costs, he said.

"There is no gain for the county," Goode said.

A committee called Our Community, Our Dollars is organizing the petition drive, according to its filing posted on the Arkansas Ethics Commission's website. The committee is also circulating petitions in Craighead and Saline counties.

Polly Martin of Conway is the committee's treasurer, and Jay Allen of Rogers is the chairman.

Neither Martin nor Allen returned phone messages seeking comment Thursday.

The filing, however, says that allowing the widespread sale of alcohol in the county would give residents "the opportunity to keep more sales tax revenue in their own communities."

"The more tax revenue our communities ultimately receive, the better equipped our communities are to fund key services and amenities such as police, fire, [emergency medical services], roads and parks," it says.

Conway has numerous restaurants with private-club licenses to sell alcoholic beverages. But under Arkansas law, those businesses must buy the alcohol at retail prices in wet counties.

Conway Mayor Tab Townsell is among those who favor allowing widespread alcohol sales.

"There's no question the economics would be better for us," Townsell said earlier this week. "And No. 2, it's just a matter of free choice. Why shouldn't someone be able to drive down and pick up what they want, or in the case of a recipe, need? ... It's a matter of an unnecessary restriction."

Townsell suggested the Quorum Court take this opportunity to look at zoning.

"You can get into it very narrowly," he said. "They could put in rules and regulations that would eliminate those liquor stores in the more unincorporated areas that would become more of a burden to police."

A leaflet mailed to residents and businesses in recent weeks by the They Win, You Lose Committee says Wal-Mart "is the primary force behind" the move to allow the liquor sales in the three counties.

"The campaign is using paid, out-of-state canvassers (who will make more in an hour than a Walmart associates makes in a day) to gather signatures, and promoting the measure as a way to keep local dollars in the community," the mailing says. Then, in boldface, it adds, "Remember, if you sign the petition, the canvasser puts your name in the public record."

A Wal-Mart representative did not return a phone message seeking comment Thursday.

State Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, said earlier Thursday that he had unsuccessfully asked petition backers to hold off on the "divisive issue" because county residents are still recovering from the recent deadly tornado.

"Allow Faulkner County to continue our healing process" and do this at another time, he said.

"I think it's very disingenuous to use the title 'Our Community, Our Dollars' when frankly no one within the community instituted this movement," Rapert said. "It was all corporate officials that instigated this movement.

"It's a quality-of-life issue here," he said. "People tell me they like things the way they are. They don't want to have the negative things that occur when you have package stores, liquor stores.

"This was never something our community was asking for. This issue's been imposed on us by corporate entities that simply wanted to push this."

County Judge Allen Dodson said the Quorum Court should get "out front" and make adequate preparations in case the measure gets on the November ballot and is approved.

He said he was asking Hogue to examine the county's regulatory authority on the control of signs and issues such as where a liquor store could be opened or be prohibited from opening.

Alcohol

State Desk on 06/06/2014

Upcoming Events