HomeMy WebLinkAboutAM Calling a local option election for the legal sale of wine for off premiseTOWN OF WESTLAKE
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To: Honorable Mayor and N[embers of the Board of Aldermen
From: Trent Petty, Town Manager
Stan Lowry, Town Attorney
Ginger Crosswy, Town Secretary
Subject: Regular Board of Aldermen Meeting, October 8, 2001
Date: October 4, 2001
Consider an Ordinance calling a local option election for the legal sale of wine for off -premise
consumption only.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval.
BACKGROUND
Since Westlake is located in two counties, the Town has been unable to hold a local option
election to sell wine for off-premis(: consumption only. This year Representative Truitt
introduced House Bill 1222 in the legi Jature to allow Westlake to hold an election to authorize
the selling of wine for off -premise c;)nsumption only. This bill was passed and signed by
Governor Perry. There was also a bill, SB 79, introduced by Senator Shapiro, which limited the
dates that municipal election may be Leld. Since House Bill 1222 did not go into effect until
September 1st, the election must be held after that date. The first uniform election date on which
this election is allowed is November 6, 2001.
To initiate a local option election, the Town Secretary supplies a petition to gather signatures
upon receiving a written request signed by 10 registered voters. The petition must be circulated
and returned to the Town within 30 days of receiving it from the Town Secretary. The petition
was picked up on September 4, 2001, and returned to the Town Secretary on October 3, 2001.
When the petition, signed by at least 35% of the registered voters of the Town, is presented to the
Town Secretary, the signatures must be verified and presented to the Board of Aldermen.
Westlake has 171 registered voters. After the signatures are verified there must be 60 valid
signatures. The Town Secretary has c:;rtified that there are 75 valit:l signatures on this petition.
The signatures exceed the 35% require:. -hent. The Board then calls the election by ordinance and
the election precedes from this point tht:: same as a general municipal election.