Officials receive alcohol petition
A petition in support of legalizing the sale of alcohol inside Russellville city limits has officially been turned in to city hall.
Russellville City Clerk Kim Wright confirmed Wednesday a petition appearing to have several signatures in support of alcohol sales had officially been turned in.
“We are currently working on certifying all the names,” she said. “If there are enough certified names on the petition then it will have to be presented to the city council before being put to a vote.”
City and county officials said supporters of the petition were stationed at polling places during the June 1 primaries gathering signatures from registered city voters.
Rumors have circulated that the signature takers were being paid by the city to set up tables and take names 30 feet away from designated precincts.
City officials said they had nothing to do with collecting the names.
Dick Tutich, who has served as a spokesperson for the petition, said he knew of the effort to gather names at the polls on June 1, but believes all of the workers were volunteers.
“I know I didn’t pay them to gather names and I don’t know of anyone who got paid to set up the petition at the polls,” he said. “We had lots of people to volunteer and set up a petition table at all five polling places in Russellville. We did it that way because we knew that everyone showing up to vote at the polls were registered voters. We made sure to follow the rules and stay 30 feet away from the polling place. I believe it was a real smart idea and hopefully we got enough certified names to bring it (alcohol sales) to a vote in November.”
Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore said he received a few calls from residents upset that the petition tables were set up near the polls, but said the petitioner’s actions did not break any campaign laws.
“There is no law against people setting up and gathering signatures for a petition at polling places, just as long as they do not harass anyone and they abide by the same campaign laws as candidates do with their political signs and stay 30 feet away from the doors that enter into the polling places,” Moore said.
According to state law, an election shall not be held within less than 30 days from the date of filing, the municipal option must be given by the mayor and city council at least three weeks prior to the election, every person on the petition must also be on the voters list and 30 percent of those must have voted in the last election.
Wright said it may be the first of July before she is able to present the issue to the Russellville city council and by then it will be to late to be put on the ballot during the July 13 run-off.
According to the percentage of people who voted in the last municipal election, 641 certifiable signatures are needed to put the legalized sale of alcohol issue to a vote in Russellville.
If 641 names turn out to be certified, Wright said it would more than likely be November before the issue is put on the ballot.
