Booze on the Ballot Across North Carolina | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Barry Smith, who is an associate editor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

    Most local issues on November ballot involve alcohol sales

    RALEIGH  -  While it could be a stretch to say that politics are driving people to drink, in a number of municipalities across North Carolina, voters will be deciding issues related to alcohol.

    Of the 49 local issues on the ballot in the Tar Heel State, a majority  -  26  -  have to do with the sale of alcohol.

    "That's too big of an issue for the council to decide," said Rhodhiss Mayor Rick Justice, where no fewer than six alcohol measures are on the ballot in the town of about 1,000 that straddles the Caldwell and Burke county line.

    School bond measures, as well as city and town transportation, parks, and greenway issues also have found their way on the ballot this fall. A couple of counties will be deciding whether to increase local sales taxes. Fire tax districts and town charter amendments also are on the ballot.

    Justice said the Rhodhiss council could have decided the alcohol issue itself by just saying no, but he said council members felt the citizens should have the final say.

    He said that the townsfolk have given no indication how they'll weigh in on the Nov. 5 referendum. "I don't think the people are extremely pro or con," Justice said. "In fact, it's been relatively quiet."

    Rhodhiss voters will be deciding whether to have on-premise only malt beverages, off-premise only malt beverages, or both on and off-premise malt beverage sales. They also get to vote on on-premise only unfortified wine sales, and off-premise only unfortified wine sales. There's also a mixed beverage referendum.

    Three Columbus County municipalities  -  Chadbourn, Fair Bluff, and Tabor City  -  will hold mixed beverage referendums.

    The Lee County town of Broadway will have referendums on malt beverage, unfortified wine, and mixed beverage sales, as well as voting on whether to allow an ABC store.

    Voters in the Yadkin County town of Jonesville will decide ballot issues on malt beverages, ABC stores, and mixed beverages. Marshville, in Union County, will hold referendums on ABC stores and mixed beverages. Rutherford College voters will decide whether to approve on-premise malt beverage sales only, off-premise malt beverage sales only, or on-and-off-premise sales.

    Harrisburg will have an ABC store referendum. Hertford and Stoneville will be deciding on mixed-beverage sales. Grove Township in Harnett County will hold referendums on malt beverages and unfortified wine.

    On other subjects, Johnston County voters will decide two education bond referendums. Voters will be asked whether to approve $57 million for the public schools, and $7 million for the community college. A $75 million public school bond will be on the ballot for Onslow County. Pitt County voters will decide a $19.9 million community college bond referendum.

    In Wake County, voters will consider an $810 million public school bond referendum Oct. 8.

    Municipalities also have placed bond referendums on the ballot:

• Raleigh voters will decide on a $75 million bond referendum. Money from bond sales would be used for streets, sidewalks, streetscape, buses, and a train station, among other things.


• Mecklenburg County voters will consider $290 million in school bonds and $210 million in community college bonds.


• Hendersonville voters will decide on a $6 million parks and recreation bond referendum, with the money going to develop Berkeley Park.


• Grifton voters will decide a $1.9 million bond for streets.

    Sanford voters, during their Sept. 10 municipal primary election, approved four bond referendums: greenway bonds, streetscape bonds, sidewalk bonds, and parks and recreation bonds.

    Voters in two counties  -  Harnett and Yadkin  -  will decide whether to add one-quarter cent to the local sales tax.

    Three towns  -  Bladenboro, Ronda, and Canton  -  have submitted changes to their town charter for voter approval.

    Five fire districts in Jones County are asking citizens to establish fire tax districts. They are Comfort, Hargetts Cross, Maysville, Pollocksville, and Trenton.

Editor's note: This story was updated after initial publication. Carolina Journal requested a full list of the ballot measures from the State Board of Elections. The list did not include the Mecklenburg County bond issue, and this story was updated to add that measure.