During last week’s East Ellijay City Council Meeting, City Manager Mack Wood said he had received requests from local merchants requesting a referendum regarding Sunday alcohol sales by the package on the next ballot. Last year, Governor Nathan Deal signed a bill allowing local communities and municipalities to decide if they wished to sell alcoholic beverages by the package on Sundays. Shortly following Deal’s signage of the bill, near-by Cherokee county voted to allow Sunday sales in its county. Earlier this month, Jasper in Pickens County approved a resolution to place a referendum on July’s ballot, asking city residents if they would want Sunday sales of alcohol by the package. The issue is swiftly spreading through out counties and cities across the state.

“CVS, Wal-Mart, Food Lion, Ingles, and the Shell (gas) station said they would all be interested,” Wood told council. Mayor West asked if certain merchants would want to sell alcohol by the drink. Wood said that question would concern approximately six operations in the city and that he would contact these businesses to see of they would be interested in this prospect.

Wood said he would check to see if they could get the referendum on the July ballot, but noted most likely the referendum would be placed on the General Election in November.

The mayor made a recommendation to the council for a motion to place Sunday sales on the next available ballot. In addition to asking East Ellijay residents if they favor selling alcohol by the package on Sundays, the motion included selling alcohol by the drink on Sundays. The motion passed unanimously.