Alcohol Election Sought in JP5

LINDALE — A group of business, civic, and community leaders from the Lindale area has formed a special purpose political action committee to support allowing limited alcohol sales in Smith County Justice Precinct 5. The group will be asking registered voters to sign petitions calling for a local option election this November. In order to call an election, state law requires the group to collect approximately 2,574 signatures of voters in Justice Precinct 5, which includes northwestern Smith County and the cities of Hideaway and Lindale.

According to press materials, the group will be asking voters to sign petitions calling for an election to allow:
� �the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only.� By state law
this will only allow beer and wine sold in places like grocery and convenience stores. This law
will not allow packaged liquor sales.
� �the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate
holders only.� By state law, stand alone bars, nightclubs or topless clubs cannot open under
this law.

The petitions will be circulated for 30 days at restaurants and businesses in JP5. In order to have a November 2014 election, the petitions must be turned back in to the county by July 11. If enough signatures are gathered calling for the election, the Smith County Commissioners Court must order the election for November 2014. According to the press materials, studies show the potential economic impact on Smith County JP 5 could be approximately $13.2 million in annual sales, nearly 130 new jobs, and over $300,000 in new sales tax revenues. This would represent a 14.2% increase from 2013 sales tax revenues for the City of Lindale, according to organizers of the effort. As of now, there has been no word of any organized opposition to the petition drive.