Aragon voters to have say on alcohol sales

City council gives OK to place referendums on Nov. ballot after public input.

A month after resolutions to place two alcohol referendums on the November ballot failed to get to a vote, the Aragon City Council heard the public’s voice.

With the deadline fast approaching to get a question on the upcoming general municipal election ballot, the council met last Wednesday, Aug. 25, and unanimously approved to ask the city’s voters in regards to Sunday alcohol sales and the sale of distilled spirits inside the city limits.

All paperwork concerning ballot items had to be submitted to the Polk County Elections Office by the end of the business day on Friday, Aug. 29.

The move completes a trifecta of alcohol referendums which will be on the ballot for voters in all three cities in Polk County come Nov. 2.

This would be the fourth time Aragon has asked voters to weigh in on

Sunday sales. The last time was in 2015 when the measure lost 42-22. The second time, in 2012, Aragon gave voters the option and it was voted down by just 12 votes. The first time it came up it was defeated by four votes.

The city council had originally put the resolutions up for a vote at its July meeting, but neither one received a second following a motion to approve by council member Daniel Johnson. That led to both motions failing and no vote being taken.

Council members were presented with two public petitions with more than 300 names combined requesting that the board pass the resolutions in order to put the questions on the ballot.

Local resident Hunter Spinks also spoke to the council during last week’s meeting concerning the referendums.

“I think it’s good for the city of Aragon because it brings

money into Aragon that is right now going out of Aragon,” Spinks said. “It doesn’t force anybody to buy anything, but it does force people to go somewhere else to buy if they want.”

By state law, Sunday sales would only be allowed in Aragon from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. if the referendum passes. Many surrounding cities already allow Sunday sales.

Council member Jud Fee said that seeing the petitions made a difference in his thoughts on putting the questions to the voters.

Johnson once again made motions to approve each resolution while fellow council member Amy Causey seconded both.

The question of selling distilled spirits will also be asked of Rockmart voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, while Cedartown is asking voters whether the city should allow restaurants to serve alcohol as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays that is allowed by the “Brunch Bill” passed in the state legislature in 2018.