FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sunday alcohol sales in Fayetteville could be voted on in November.
The issue made a big step in May when Keep Our Dollars in Fayetteville submitted enough signatures to the city clerk's office. The group's goal is to bring more revenue into the city by using alcohol sales on Sunday instead of residents going outside city limits to communities where selling alcohol on Sundays is legal.
"I think there's a real understanding that we are losing real tax dollars to other communities when folks have to travel out of town to make those purchases," Keaton Smith with Keep Our Dollars in Fayetteville Committee said.
Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams has recommended the city council confirm the signatures verified by the city clerk and allow Fayetteville residents to vote on Sunday alcohol sales during the next general election, which is on Nov. 5.
"The citizens have called the petition. It's the citizens right then to have the city council do what they're supposed to do under the law, and then the county to do what it's supposed to do under the law, so this does get to the ballot," Williams said.
The Fayetteville City Council will vote on holding the election on July 16.
According to Williams, a total of 4,276 signatures were verified, which is over 15% of the qualified electors' signatures on petitions needed to be filed to successfully call for an election on an issue.
The City of Fayetteville requested that the Washington County Quorum Court (WCQC) order the election be called, which could happen in a meeting on the same day and is listed as an agenda item during the WCQC meeting.
The Quorum Court confirmed that they will vote on a resolution regarding Sunday alcohol sales in their meeting in August.
"There was some question about whether or not the county had to do something with regards to this or not," said County Attorney Brian Lester. "We want to make sure that we don't somehow get in the way of them doing what constitutional they have the right to do."
If approved in Fayetteville, it will be the largest city in the state selling alcohol on Sundays.
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