Vote today - Liquor by the drink issue - Polls open 7 to 7
6 months ago | 947 views | 7 7 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Douglas County voters go to the polls today, casting a ballot in a referendum to decide if alcoholic beverages can be sold by the drink in county restaurants.

Sunday sales by the drink are already permitted in the cities of Douglasville, Villa Rica and Austell.

Voters will cast ballots in all precincts from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Election results will be telecast tonight on dctv23, the county's cable access channel and webcast and posted on the Web site at www.celebratedouglascounty.com.

Less than 1 percent of the county's voters took advantage of early voting that ended Friday. The county has 69,026 active registered voters.
similar stories

Planning to vote on liquor-by-drink issue? Monday last day to register to vote | 7 months ago

Liquor by the drink goes to the polls in Buchanan | 5 months ago

Turnout less than 1 percent for early voting on liquor issue | 6 months ago

Bowdon voters to decide liquor issue | 20 months ago

Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today in city elections | 4 months ago

comments (7)
« Looking Forward wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 03:19 PM »
Well, in Georgia, the cities have most of the rights to annex and raise taxes while the counties have all the responsibility for services. The City of Douglasville has jumped to annex any piece of land that can create revenue without a lot of voter input. The City is annexing commercial areas so that the residents in the area have no say-so because they cannot vote against the Mayor or City Council in the next election.

Most people do not realize that the City of Douglasville has spread so much over the last ten years. This can help to stop this spread.
« Bottom Line wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 03:08 PM »
If you want low-class restaurants, low-end hotels, and want a city that raises your taxes to continue to spread: vote no.

If you want Douglas County to have a chance to stay a nice county: vote yes.

If you want Douglas County to be like Clayton County: vote no.

(If you look at what happened in Clayton, it was very similar. The county was unable to allow alcohol permits for restaurants so the cities spread and they did not regulate well. They allowed anything to be built anywhere, just like Douglasville has and will continue to do.)

« Looking Forward wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 03:02 PM »
Package stores are banned in Douglas County and will still not be allowed if the referendum passes. Package stores are not allowed to sell on Sunday, that is a State law so this has nothing to do with that issue at all.

Compete with counties like Cobb and Fulton for hotels, restaurants, and resorts that will not locate where they cannot sell on Sunday.

And the cities in this county, as well as other counties will continue to annex land without care to issue permits to package stores and restaurants.

« goal wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 12:12 PM »
Compete for what? What does the county compete for that require Sunday Sales? Do we really need anymore restaurants/bars/package stores??!!!

I don't think more of these establishments will help Douglas County "compete" for anything we NEED or WANT in our county!!
« look around wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 12:06 PM »
Voting no will ensure that businesses that sell alcohol will stay in the city and not start sprawling all over the county...
« Looking Forward wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 09:25 AM »
I believe that voting "yes" on this issue will put our county in a better position in the future and allow it to compete better with other counties.
« voter1 wrote on Tuesday, Sep 15 at 08:57 AM »
We should have had a tea party to protest the waste & cost of having a separate vote on this topic. It could have been on the November ballot.



Plus, I know we have already voted on this, and already more than once - when the voters speak, you are supposed to listen - not just keep asking the same question over and over until the circumstances are right (like a low turn out) to get the answer you want.

I think, to prevent this situation in the future, every vote should require a certain percentage of participation - so than less than 1% of the registered voters are not making decisions for the entire county...and if the participation isn't there, then the vote shouldn't count!
.