Published: August 20, 2008 09:35 am            

County approves pair of liquor elections

Commissioners OK measures by 4-1 votes, with Hall abstaining on grounds of moral conscience

After hearing protests from citizens, the Henderson County Commissioners Court voted to set local option elections for Malakoff and Coffee City Tuesday.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Hall was the lone court member to vote against both requests.

County Judge David Holstein said the court is mandated by law to approve the elections once the petitioners had met all of the state requirements. The voting will take place November 4.

Henderson County Election Administrator Denise Hernandez told commissioners that Malakoff citizens had submitted two petitions. One was to legalize the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only and the other to allow the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only. Petitioners needed 150 signatures to meet the threshold of 35 percent of all voters who participated in the most recent gubernatorial election. The petitions passed with ease with 172 and 170 validated signatures, respectively.

A petition in Coffee City dealt solely with the issue of liquor sales in restaurants and also garnered the required amount of signatures.

During the part of the meeting set aside for citizens to voice comments, three Malakoff pastors spoke against liquor sales. Each speaker said he was there to offer his individual views and not as representatives of any group.

First Baptist Church Pastor Emeritus Casey Perry said he has contacted the ministers of all eight churches within Malakoff and several others in the immediate area.

“I have polled those pastors and every one of them is opposed to this matter,” Perry said.

Perry disagreed with those who believe the sale of liquor will bring measurable economic gain to the city.

“Some are envisioning that the closed buildings in Malakoff will begin to open and prosper and that the city will begin to do well. It has been said the economical prosperity goes from Malakoff to Caney City,” Perry said. “I drive through Caney City each day and though there are many wonderful people there, the businesses don’t show that liquor sales have done much. In fact, there are three or four buildings that have been vacant for some time.”

Tommy Hayes, of First Assembly of God, said he has seen the effects that alcohol can have on a city in his 28 years as a volunteer firefighter. Hayes said when liquor sales come in the cost of law enforcement and city services increase.

“The quality of life deteriorates,” Hayes said.

First Baptist Church Pastor Nathan Lorick said the approval of liquor sales will result not in more money for the city coffers, but in more coffins.

“It’s not a personality issue, not a morality issue, but a community issue,” Lorick said.

Later in the meeting, commissioners discussed the agenda item.

“One thing I wanted to get clear is that the Commissioners Court’s role is somewhat of a formality,” Pct. 4 Commissioner Jerry West said. “They’ve been presented everything from our elections administrator and everything checks out. Unfortunately, it falls on us to call the election.”

Hall said he couldn’t bring himself to vote to call the election regardless of the letter of the law.

“I have a personal conviction against alcohol,” Hall said. “God led me away from it. I just can’t vote for it.”

Pct. 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney moved to call the election, seconded by Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence. The vote passed 4-1, with Hall opposed.

        

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