Liquor sales in Waxahachie? That's something voters would decide

During a work session at the Waxahachie Civic Center on Jan. 25, Waxahachie City Council members discussed the possibility of liquor sales in Waxahachie.

The city’s attorney, Robert Brown, explained how liquor sales are not determined by the city but through an election process.

“The city has little to no say on whether or not there are liquor stores in the city,” Brown said. “It’s all done by local option election.”

If someone wants to petition for liquor sales in Waxahachie, they would first apply for a petition with signatures from 10 registered voters. Next, the petitioner would have to get signatures from registered voters in Waxahachie, with the required amount being at least 35% of the number of voters at the last gubernatorial election. If the signatures are gathered and submitted to the city secretary within 60 days, the city must call an election after the city secretary has verified the signatures.

“I know there were comments made (on social media) by people to council saying to stop it, but the reality is we have no control, any more than we have control over what TxDOT says the speed limit is on I-35 that goes through the city,” Brown said. “It’s completely governed by state law.”

He said the city can set moderate regulations on alcohol sales such as prohibiting sales within a certain distance from a school, daycare, or church, as an example.

“If the people speak and they want liquor stores, they’ll get liquor stores,” Brown said. “If they say no, and there’s no petition or it’s voted down, they won’t get it.”

He said the city could not spend public funds to support or oppose any proposition like liquor sales, but individual council members could share their stance.

At the Jan. 17 city council meeting, 10 people spoke against allowing liquor sales in the city during the agenda’s public comment item.

“I cannot tell you the amount of fatality accidents I saw that involved leaving liquor stores or going to liquor stores I saw, hundreds in 31 years,” retired Dallas Police officer, Tom Shaffer, said. “There’s just no reason to have that in our community.”

The majority of those who spoke were pastors, and they shared how they felt it would change the city and bring negative impacts like higher criminal activity, an increase in litter, an increase in mental health issues and more.

Dr. Steve Leonard trained at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and felt Waxahachie had no need to add liquor stores.

“I saw a lot of trauma at Parkland every single night,” Leonard said. “I will tell you that almost every single person that came in from a car accident, a shooting, or a stabbing was drunk. I don’t see any benefits of adding liquor stores to the community ... . I think we can be a community that grows and thrives without liquor stores.”

“My brother died four years ago,” Brandi Bulin said. “If a liquor store was a little bit further, it would have been a little harder for him to actually drink so easily. (I’m) totally against the whole liquor store thing. A little bit of distance makes a lot of difference.”

For more information about local option liquor elections, visit https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/liquorelections.shtml.

Originally published February 3, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/liquor-sales-in-waxahachie-thats-something-voters-would-decide/article_42b3bffe-a403-11ed-92db-4b43af8a5589.html