Three In 30: Edgewood Finds Itself In Another Alcohol Sales Election

Almost like clockwork, Edgewood seems to be involved in a local option election every 10 years.

After proposals for legalized alcohol sales in that city were defeated in 1989 and 1999, the town finds itself back in the spotlight as part of a precinct-wide local option election set for Nov. 3.

Early voting on three proposals on the ballot begins Monday and continues through Oct. 30 at the Van Zandt County Courthouse Law Library in Canton. Proponents for alcohol sales in Van Zandt County Precinct 1 have successfully petitioned for three options on the ballot, one for beer and wine sales for off-premise consumption, one for all alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption and one for mixed beverages sold by food and beverage certificate holders, also known as liquor by the drink in restaurants.

Danny Eason, an Edgewood resident and president of an alcohol sales opposition group known as Concerned Citizens for Van Zandt County, remembers the group’s successful effort to keep alcohol sales out of Edgewood 10 years ago.

"In that election, we had just gotten together a group of people to get together a grassroots effort, and we were able to defeat that by about a 2-to-1 margin," he said. "It was made up of volunteers who really tried to do that by staying focused on our mission, which was to defeat the proposal and stay away from personal attacks."

Now, the group has reformed in an effort to stave off legalized alcohol sales not only in Edgewood, but also in other areas of the county. Wills Point became the first city in Van Zandt County to legalize beer and wine sales when a local option passed in May.

"We’re striving to keep a better quality of life in Van Zandt County," Eason said. "The possibility of alcohol being sold here doesn’t do anything to help improve that quality of life.

"Once again, our goal is to take our message to the voters. We hope they will decline that possibility (of legalized sales)," he said.

At an organizational meeting in late August, Eason said about 50 people attended and about 80 percent of those volunteered to help with the opposition effort.

The group has prayer events scheduled at various churches throughout the county during Sunday evening services tonight and has scheduled a prayer meeting event outside the Van Zandt County Courthouse on Monday at 11 a.m., according to First Baptist Church in Edgewood Pastor Wayne Livingston.

Eason added, "The prayer events are just for asking for God’s support in this initiative and ask for His protection around Precinct 1 and Van Zandt County."

Edgewood Mayor Charlie Prater was on the Edgewood City Council the last time the issue came before the city’s voters. He said he sees a big difference thus far in the general fervor between that local option election and the one coming up in less than a month.

"In the last one, we had people in town who were really upset about it and coming to council meetings asking us a lot of questions. That has not been the case this time, and I don’t know if it is because this election is precinct-wide and not just in the city of Edgewood itself," Prater said.

David Musslewhite, president of the Edgewood Economic Development Corporation, said he remembers the division within the town as well. Although the first local option election in Edgewood was defeated by a much narrower margin, the 1989 election sparked more ill feelings, he said.

"I remember the second one more because of so many breakups of friendships," Musslewhite said. "This one has been different so far. I haven’t heard anybody talking about it, but I know the churches are gearing up to oppose it."

Like the city council, the EDC officially remains neutral on the issue, he said, but added there is potential for economic benefit — or, perhaps more importantly, not seeing local dollars go to other cities.

"I’m not advocating whether we ought to be wet or dry, but it is clear that we would benefit by the tax revenue and could use it," Musslewhite said. "What we are doing now is seeing many people who buy alcoholic beverages are buying elsewhere, and those places are benefiting by our people shopping.

"We like to be in a position to encourage people to buy locally. Consequently, on alcohol sales, we do lose that tax revenue," he added.

Eason said he disagrees strongly with that position.

"The sale of alcohol doesn’t improve the quality of life at all, and instead we see crime rates go up and motor vehicle accidents go up. There are statistics out there to show what the sale of alcohol locally does as far as cost of city services, the increase of services needed. It increases the need for police protection and usually the crime rate goes up," he said.

Prater expressed some doubt about both arguments, for and against.

"I do not think it is going to generate the revenue some people say it will," he said. "Maybe if Edgewood was the only place to sell it, but that won’t be the case if it does pass…I think the people who want to vote for it simply want to be able to drive to the local store and buy a bottle of wine if they want it."

Prater added, "Anyone thinking it will be a big sales tax boon is probably kidding themselves, but those who think it will create a need to increase the police department or that it will take a whole lot of resources to police it is not true either, in my opinion. I think those are both sides of that issue that get overblown."

The Edgewood mayor said the city council is getting prepared for a possible passage of any of the three options on the ballot with specific ordinances for the city.

"The city will remain neutral on the issue, but we (city council) are going to discuss ordinances that well help control it if it does pass. We are looking at the set of ordinances Wills Point passed as a guide," Prater said.