Sikes was responding to Trinity Mayor Carlton Boyles during the city’s planning retreat held Jan. 9.
The Council had been discussing whether or not to call for another referendum to allow alcohol sales in the city, and had all but decided to do so, when Boyles had pointed out that the last referendum, held in 2007, failed.
“If we go back, 58 percent voted against it in the last election,” Boyles interjected. “There are 70 churches in this city. Are we willing to divide the city over this?”
“When that failed, I got a lot of calls,” replied Councilman Kelly Grooms. “I think more people didn’t vote because they thought it would pass.”
In the 2007 referendum, only 914 of Trinity’s then 3,833 registered voters cast a ballot. As of November 2009, Trinity had 4,503 registered voters.
Archdale passed alcohol sales in 2005, on the fourth referendum since its incorporation in 1969.
“This is not going to divide the city, but you’ll never convince some of the older people (to vote for alcohol sales),” Sikes added. “Asheboro is the only city in this county to really prosper without alcohol. Why? Because of the distance to other places with good restaurants.”
If the city wants to attract nice restaurants and new residents, both of which will expand the city’s tax base and help lower the property tax burden, alcohol sales are needed, Sikes and Grooms added. Those places would draw patrons from the surrounding area as well as traffic from Interstate 85, the forthcoming Interstate 73/74 and people staying in Archdale’s hotels.
Boyles asked how they would feel about teenagers buying alcohol in Trinity.
“It won’t have any more effect on teenagers [than it does now],” Grooms explained. “They’ll get it anywhere if they really want it. They won’t buy it in their city anyway, they’ll go somewhere no one knows them.”
The rest of the Council then agreed that the issue should be put to the voters.
City Manager Ann Bailie told them that they would have to wait until after November 2010 to hold another referendum because the last one failed to pass. This is required by state statutes.
“You could hold it in 2011, or wait and put it on the ballot during the 2012 General Election,” Bailie said.
Sikes shook his head. “Definitely not during the General Election, we want a special election on this.”
The reason, he continued, is to allow voters to fully focus on the issue at hand. During a General Election, there are many other candidates and referendums that can distract voters.
The Council reached consensus after nearly an hour of discussion, and directed Bailie to check with the Randolph County Board of Elections about a referendum in the early spring of 2011. The ballot could ask voters to vote for or against four types of alcohol sales — the sale of malt beverages (beer), unfortified wine, an ABC store and mixed beverages (liquor by the drink). The cost would be approximately $4,500.
Council will vote on whether to hold a referendum later this year.
Thank you Carlton Boyles for taking a stand. I don't like the idea of $4,500 dollars of tax money to be spent on a vote where the citizens of Trinity will tell the council what we have told them before: No alcohol in Trinity.