BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Voters in Rogers and Bentonville voted in favor of selling alcohol on Sundays, according to recent polling numbers.
According to Benton County election results, in Rogers over 70% voted for alcohol sales on Sundays. In Bentonville, 74% of voters were in favor.
The Keep Our Dollars Local campaign, the committee that collected signatures earlier in the year to put the allowance of Sunday sales of alcohol in Rogers and Bentonville on the ballot, announced the issues would be on the ballot back in July.
In Bentonville, the clerk validated 2,300 signatures and the Rogers City Clerk on June 30 validated 2,450 signatures to send the issue to voters this November.
The petitions were required to have signatures from 15% of the qualified voters who cast ballots in the last state governor's election in each city.
"I just think it's a great thing for our community, for our local business owners and for our taxpaying citizens to be able to keep those sales tax dollars," said Clay Kendall, the chairman of the Keep Our Dollars Local committee.
Election results:
Frank Jameson is the general manager of Spiritueux Wines and Liquors in Rogers. The store has been serving the area since 2015 and Jameson says this will allow locals to pick from their neighborhood store any day of the week.
"I don't have to travel, you know, 50 miles down the road to Springdale, or go up to Missouri," said Jameson. "I can actually go in somewhere that's real quick, close, where I already know."
Both Jameson and Kendall expressed how this would also help keep everything local. Kendall expanded by saying some would spend on more than just alcohol, providing income for local businesses.
"They're potentially filled up with gas, or they're having lunch, they're shopping, and they're, you know, just beyond what they're going to purchase," said Kendall.
Jameson explained this could bring a 10 to 15% increase in revenue. He says now the store is concerned about the extra work, bringing in more jobs.
"Whether it's new supervisors, or new input and cashiers, and stockers to come in and be able to work on an extra day of the week," said Jameson. "It's great. I mean, because then we were hiring more people."
A representative of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said that Sunday sales will become legal after 30 days of receiving the certified votes.
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