<< Back 8/21/02 Canton may vote this winter on alcohol sales By Scott McLeod Sometime this winter, Canton voters will in all likelihood head to the polls to decide whether to allow on-premise alcohol sales in the east Haywood town. A group of citizens billing itself the Canton Committee for Choice turned in petitions to the Haywood County Board of Elections Aug. 19 with the signatures of about 1,400 people who support voting on allowing the sale. If at least 992 of those turn out to be registered voters after verification by the board of elections, the referendum will be held. “We think we exceeded the necessary number to get the referendum, but we will be waiting to hear from the board of elections,” said Marty Phillips, who headed up the petition drive. Currently Canton sells off-premise beer and wine at grocery stores and liquor at its ABC store. Many in town feel that its proximity to Interstate 40 makes it an obvious place for many chain restaurants that won’t open unless beer, wine and liquor are available. Mayor Pat Smathers is one who believes having alcohol sales would help business. “We’re sitting here at this major intersection off of Interstate 40, and all around us — Asheville, Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Sylva, Brevard, Bryson City — all have on-premise alcohol sales of some kind,” said Smathers. “We’re sitting right in the middle and we don’t have it. It does not make sense from a business and economic perspective.” Smathers said the town has taken no formal position on the issue, and that his beliefs are his own. That said, he believes the town would benefit from the additional sales tax that would be generated from restaurants and the town would benefit from the employees those businesses would hire and the extra payroll. Phillips’ group is also framing the issue as a business opportunity. He said the petition drive went very well and that the group encountered very little opposition. “There were even a few who signed the petition who said they would vote against it, but that they wanted it to come to a vote,” said Phillips. But an organized opposition group has formed. On Aug. 19, the Rev. March Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, spoke to a group gathered at Canton Free Will Baptist Church. He encouraged those attending to register as a political action committee with the local board of elections so they won’t run into trouble when they begin raising money and spending it. “We provided them with materials that explain how to set up and organize a campaign to defeat the referendum,” said Creech. The Christian Action League formed in the 1800s as the Anti-Saloon League, and it has worked diligently since to inhibit access to alcohol, said Creech. According to Creech, the main issue for those who want to defeat the referendum is getting out the vote. “Most people’s minds are already made up on this issue. People form their own attitudes about alcohol use and abuse,” said Creech. “What is important is getting people to the polls who agree that easier access to alcohol is harmful to a community.” Creech credits the Christian Action League for the fact that much of North Carolina is stilly dry or only partially “wet.” “We have a good process in this state where the sale of liquor is controlled and not privatized. This lets people in towns, municipalities and counties make their own decisions about how alcohol will be sold, or whether it will be sold,” said Creech. The petitions turned into he board of elections office call for a vote on whether on-premise sales of malt beverages and/or mixed drinks will be allowed. Board of Elections Supervisor Catherine Bradshaw said she will have the county attorney look it over, but she interprets that to mean there will be one vote on both beer and liquor. Some towns, like Waynesville, allow beer and wine sales on premise but not liquor. To bring the issue to a vote, supporters had to get 35 percent of registered voters to sign the petition. The board of elections has 30 days to verify the signatures. After that, the board of elections has up to 120 days to call for an election. That means the latest a referendum could be held — if the signatures on the petitions hold up — would be early January. Referendums of this type can’t be held in conjunction with a general election.