Perryville votes on alcohol sales tomorrow
Published 9:52 am Monday, October 3, 2016
- Kendra Peek/kendra.peek@amnews.com Battlefield Station Marathon, background, and Mr. Miser's Store Shell, foreground, are two of the three locations where alcohol could be sold if the vote were to pass in Perryville.
Perryville residents will vote tomorrow on whether to allow alcohol sales in the city.
The question that will be on the Oct. 4 ballot is, “Are you in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages in Perryville, Kentucky?”
Under state law, Perryville was previously unable to legalize alcohol sales due to its size. But during the 2016 general session of the Kentucky legislature, a new law was passed that eliminated a minimum-population requirement of 3,000, making it possible for many cities previously considered too small to opt for legalizing sales.
If voters in Perryville opt to go wet, the city would have two package-liquor licenses up for grabs, as well as an unlimited number of licenses for restaurants that meet certain requirements. If voters choose to stay dry, another vote couldn’t be held until 2019.
That’s according to state laws and information from officials with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
According to the state ABC, because of Perryville’s small population — 751 according to the 2010 census — a wet win in the election would not grant access to quota retail drink licenses, which allow businesses such as bars to sell alcohol by the drink without seating or food-sales requirements.
But the city would have two quota retail package licenses — the minimum number of licenses allowed in order to prevent monopolies, according to state law.
The city would also have unlimited licenses available for restaurants that want to serve alcohol, as long as each restaurant can seat at least 50 people and makes at least 50 percent of its gross sales from food.
A vote in favor of going wet would officially take effect 60 days after the local option election, which would be Dec. 3 for Perryville. At that point, businesses could begin applying for licenses.
With a successful dry vote, nothing would change. State law requires that at least three years pass following a vote to stay dry before another local option election to legalize alcohol sales can be held.
Perryville residents can vote from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.
