When it comes to Sunday alcohol sales, Cobb County’s approach has been more wait and see and less follow the leader.
The surrounding jurisdictions of Fulton, DeKalb and Atlanta could decide to put Sunday alcohol sales on a November ballot along with an education sales tax referendum. Cobb and some of its cities are unlikely to follow suit, choosing instead to wait until next year’s presidential primary.
For some residents, the wait is too long, and they want the option of voting in lockstep with other jurisdictions.
But the few months of lost tax revenues are not worth the trouble, said Tim Lee, Cobb’s Commission Chairman.
Cobb does not have elections in November so an alcohol vote this year would have to be done through a costly special election. Cobb residents vilified the commission for holding a $400,000 special election in March for a SPLOST extension. Another special election is something Lee is unwilling to do, even if some of Cobb’s cities and neighboring Cherokee County approves the referendum this year.
“It’s still not worth $400,000,” Lee said.
Throughout the metro area, Cobb is known for its innovation and government efficiency . Equally reputable is the county’s conservatism, which is evident in the alcohol decision.
Leaders in Austell have said there will be no Sunday sales referendum on its in November ballot. The council in Powder Springs refused to even discus a referendum when the topic was brought up during a meeting in June. Marietta does not have elections in November, but is unlikely to pay for a special election and would probably tag along on Cobb’s vote next year.
“I wouldn't want stores selling alcohol on Sundays because that day should be kept as a religious day,” said Hank Phillips, 46, standing outside Seven Seas Bottle Shop in Powder Springs.
Store owner Wajdi Kahla and his family have operated Seven Seas for 25 years. Sunday sales are coming, but Kahla is in no hurry.
“Our employees are saying they don’t want it because they won’t have time off,” he said.
Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins, who ironically owned a liquor store for several years, has been one of the staunchest opponents of Sunday sales. Like Phillips, Jerkins would like to keep Sunday a religious day free of alcohol.
“I don’t have any problem with people voting, but I don’t support it,” he said. “It will mean very little tax money to us anyway because we don’t have but a couple of liquor stores.”
That thinking rankles Lance Lamberton, an Austell resident and president of the Cobb Taxpayers Association testified before the Austell City Council in May requesting a vote this year.
“Austell has got to get its head out of the sand," Lamberton said. "I would hate to think that Austell would be a dry spot in a wet area.”
Austell resident Daszman Peters, 24, thinks residents should be allowed to vote on Sunday sales sooner rather than later in a referendum he would vote for. "People should have the option," he said, while buying beer in a convenience store down the street from Jerkins' former store.
Two of Cobb’s six cities — Kennesaw and Smyrna —have deviated from next year’s timeline, and approved referenda for their November elections.
“We didn’t even discuss waiting for the county. We didn’t want to do that,” said Kennesaw Councilman Bill Thrash. “The state passed it, the governor signed it, the direction was to put it on the ballot and let the people decide.”
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