Commissioners last month talked about creating a Jackson County ABC board to study the issue. But that could be putting the cart before the horse.
Simply appointing a task force rather than creating a full-fledged ABC board would be a better route for now, County Manager Chuck Wooten told commissioners this week.
Under state statute, each ABC board members make $150 a meeting. So a bona fide ABC board would be more expensive than a task force.
But County Attorney Jay Coward also cautioned commissioners that a bona fide ABC board would then own the decision making process over new liquor stores rather than the decision resting with commissioners themselves.
“It may function in a way you don’t want it to function once you set it up. It has a life of its own,” Coward said. “They could decide to establish a store and start selling booze.”
That got commissioners attention.
“We need a committee then,” Commissioner Chairman Jack Debnam said.