PRAIRIE GROVE -- A campaign to place a local option question on the ballot to allow the sale of alcohol within all of Prairie Grove city limits has been suspended because of time constraints, according to Jerry Coyle, chairman of Historic Prairie Grove Revitalization Committee.
Coyle on Friday said the committee still supports the proposal but does not believe it has the time to gather the signatures required to get the question on the November general election ballot.
"I don't think we're going to make it," Coyle said. "We underestimated the time it would take to get signatures."
He added, "We're going to have to step back and punt and try it next time."
Coyle said the committee probably only has about 200 signatures at this time.
By state law, the number of signatures needed to call a local option election is based on the number of registered voters as of June 1 of that year.
Becky Lewellen, Washington County clerk, said Prairie Grove had 3,460 people registered to vote on June 1, which meant the committee would need have to get 1,315 eligible signatures to place the alcohol question on the ballot.
Lewellen said Arkansas has one law that says petitions have to be turned in 90-120 days prior to the election. However, Amendment 7 to the Arkansas Constitution changed the deadline to 60 days prior to the election. That makes it hard when it comes to printing the ballot, Lewellen said, but added her office uses the Amendment 7 deadline of 60 days for local option initiatives. Lewellen said 60 days before the Nov. 6 general election would be Sept. 7.
Coyle said the committee is not giving up on the idea but next time will consider hiring an outside group to canvas for signatures.
"It's not a matter that we don't want to do it," Coyle said. "We're all volunteers and we have jobs. We still want it and I feel like the public wants it."
Historic Prairie Grove Revitalization Committee registered with the Arkansas Ethics Commission on March 9, with Coyle as chairman, Rick Ault as vice chairman and members Mitch Bartholomew and Mike Fidler.
The registration form included a brief statement about the proposed ballot question that stated: "to make Prairie Grove wet/dry areas all wet. Right now the old sections are dry and new ones are wet, to make Prairie Grove City Limits areas consistent."
Presently, an area of the city limits, about one square mile in the downtown section, is dry because of a vote held sometime in the early 1950s. Any areas that were annexed into the city after the election came in as wet.
Committee members and other volunteers began gathering signatures in early May.
Ault set up a table with petitions during the 2nd Saturday Trades Day event on June 9 and people were stopping by to sign petitions to place the question on the ballot.
"It is an unfair ordinance to hold the downtown area different than the rest of Prairie Grove," Ault said that day. "This is to true up the ordinance that causes an unfair advantage to the downtown area."
Aaron Dotson of Prairie Grove said he thought people should be able to make their own choices.
"Why not?" he said. "It doesn't mean I'm going to have an alcoholic beverage at that establishment but I think the customer should have a choice."
He said he didn't know how much revenue would come in from making all of Prairie Grove wet but noted, "A little bit will help, right?"
Several downtown merchants said they supported making all of Prairie Grove wet, while at least one was opposed to it.
Richard Mays, owner of Magnolia Coffee House, said his business might be interested in taking advantage of the opportunity to sell alcohol, not just to make a profit but because it would bring in revenue for the city.
"It's revenue the city could use," Mays said.
Martha Ritchie, owner of Daisies & Olives, said she supports the proposal to make the downtown area wet like the rest of Prairie Grove.
She cannot sign the petition because she lives outside Prairie Grove city limits but noted, "We believe it will bring more business to the town because different restaurants will be encouraged to open up if they can offer it (alcohol)."
Ritchie noted the wet vote will only be for a small section of Prairie Grove to bring it on par with the rest of the city.
"It just doesn't make sense. It's an inconsistency to have it the way it is."
Melissa Vansickel with Mel's Diner said she and her husband did not sign a petition and did not support the proposal.
"We have too many church customers and they've told us they wouldn't come in here if we support it," Vansickel said. "We can't lose that business."
Her husband, Brandon Vansickel, said the restaurant's customer base is Christian-oriented, older couples and young families. They also have small church groups that come in regularly to meet together.
General News on 06/20/2018