Alcohol sales to be on ballot

Curry County voters will see three questions on the ballot in November regarding alcohol sales in the county’s unincorporated areas.

County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a recommendation from County Manager Lance Pyle, who submitted five potential ballot questions and suggested putting the first three to voters:

A. Do the residents of Curry County wish to allow the sale, service and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the unincorporated areas of Curry County?

B. Do the residents of Curry County wish to allow inter-local option district transfers in the unincorporated areas of Curry County?

C. Do the residents of Curry County wish to allow issuance of restaurant beer and wine licenses in the unincorporated parts of Curry County?

D. Do the residents of Curry County wish to allow Sunday sales by the drink in the unincorporated parts of Curry County?

E. Do the residents of Curry County wish to allow for Sunday package liquor sales in the unincorporated parts of Curry County?

Commission Chairman Chet Spear agreed with Pyle to put the first three questions on the ballot for voters, while asserting that the county does not yet need to be involved with the sales of alcohol on Sunday.

“We wanted to leave it up to the voters,” Spear said. “I don’t know how many years now we haven’t sold alcohol in the county, but we wanted to be respectful of our constituents in the county. The city doesn’t sell packaged alcohol on Sundays, but do now allow beer and wine with meals.”

The election is Nov. 5.