Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Commission Chairman Melvin Davis.

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis’ efforts to get alcohol referenda on the ballot in November got a slight push-back from two of his Commission colleagues Tuesday night.

Commissioner Jim Luke said the county needed to do more to warn the citizens that the referenda were under consideration by the board, and Commissioner Mark Saxon agreed.

The bigger setback for Davis came from County Attorney Daniel Haygood.

Haygood told the commissioners that getting separate referenda on the November ballot for Sunday sale of beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores and for Sunday sale of beer, wine and alcohol by the drink in restaurants is straightforward, requiring only a majority vote of the Commission.

Getting package sales of alcoholic spirits in what would be liquor stores, which the county does not now have, would be much more difficult, Haygood said, requiring petitions signed by 35 percent of the county’s 22,187 registered voters, or 7,766, before the issue could go on the ballot.

The commissioners agreed to take out an advertisement in The Oconee Enterprise to warn citizens the issue will be on the agenda for consideration and possible action when the Commission meets again on Aug. 2.

For more, visit Oconee County Observations.