GUNTERSVILLE — As voters head to the polls on November 5 to pick the next President of the United States, Marshall County residents will also decide on whether to allow the sale of alcohol in unincorporated areas of the county.
A "yes" vote for Local Amendment 1 would propose an amendment to the Alabama Constitution that would allow the county to become "wet" by selling and regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages.
During last Wednesday's Commission meeting, District 1 County Commissioner Ronny Shumate recommended they discuss forming an alcohol review board like the local cities have that would be in charge of approving business applications for liquor licenses if the amendment passes.
"It's going to be very important we come up with rules and regulations if it does pass… It's up to us to approve who and where and all that stuff," Shumate said.
County attorney Clint Maze said he could draft a resolution for the next meeting on October 23 to iron out all the details, such as the number of board members and who would make the appointments. Depending on the election outcome, the resolution would be voted on or discarded on November 6.
Shumate said allowing county alcohol sales wouldn't be a "saving grace" given the number of businesses currently in unincorporated areas. Maze cautioned that projected revenues for the county could prove overblown, pointing to the City of Arab, which saw a significant disparity between predicted and actual income after it passed a wet referendum.
"My prediction is that this is going to allow beer and wine to be sold in Dollar Generals and some gas stations," Maze said. "...Money is money, and it's helping the school system, but the citizens that voted on that were having projections in front of them that did not come to fruition."
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