Expanding liquor sales opposition

A Vandalia City Council committee invited residents to attend a meeting on Monday to voice their opinions on businesses other than liquor stores to sell alcohol. And, that’s what they got.
Almost all in the crowd of 15 speaking at that meeting oppose the idea, and those who did not said only that they would take the opportunity to sell alcohol if it was presented to them.
Prior to Monday’s meeting of the council’s railroad, economic development and tourism committee, City Administrator LaTisha Paslay sent surveys to city officials in Pana, Greenville, Salem, Altamont, Salem, Centralia and Highland to ask whether other businesses, including convenience stores, can sell alcohol, and if so, how those sales are governed.
In addition to receiving the results of that survey, aldermen received from Tim McMillan, owner of CT’s Liquor Store, a letter in which he voiced opposition to opening up liquor sales.
When Monday’s meeting was opened up with comments from those in the audience, McMillan was the first to speak.
“Just out of curiosity, I would like to ask the council why they feel the need to increase the number of liquor licenses in this town,” McMillan said.
“Are the present establishments not meeting the needs of the community, or is there some other reason?” he asked.
Dorothy Crawford, chairman of the railroad, economic development and tourism committee, said, “Speaking for myself, this is something I’ve thought should hae been done years and years ago.
“I’ve never understood why it wasn’t done in the first place,” Crawford said.
Alderman Russ Stunkel told McMillan that he’s had “several people over the years” asking him why Walmart is not allowed to sell liquor.
Also, Stunkel said that the city is always looking to increase businesses and revenue in the community.
“Does anybody sitting here want to hurt Tim? No,” he said.
Stunkel contends that based on the results of the survey conducted by Paslay, many of the respondents said that having open sales does not hurt liquor stores.
He said that with residents say they are tired of taxes and fees, “It is incumbent for us, as leaders, to at least look at this as a revenue source.”
“It’s all fine and good” to bring in more revenue, McMillan said, but if the city decides to expand liquor sales, “You have to open it up to everybody.”
But, he said, it would then be looking at having 12-15 such liquor licenses.
“This is not going to bring more people into this town to buy alcohol,” McMillan said.
“There’s only so much pie,” he said, comparing the idea of expanding sales to what’s happened with gaming in the community.
“There’s a big pie that you keep slicing and the pieces get smaller,” he said.
McMillan said that he has no problem competing with stand-alone liquor stores. But, he said, if the sales are opened up, “We can’t pay our taxes, you lose our tax revenue and our employees lose their jobs.”
Crawford said that should the city expand liquor sales, interested businesses would still have to apply for a license.
“It doesn’t mean we will issue 12-15 licenses,” she said.
Alderman Steve Barker said, “We’re just looking at it.
“We don’t want to have to raise taxes to make the community better.
“It’s something to look at. We have to create more revenue,” Barker said.
Stunkel said that he doesn’t see any difference than having numerous gas stations or pizza restaurants, but the city’s legal counsel, Ryan Connor, pointed out, “Liquor is a unique thing.
“You have a unique level of control” on how alcohol is sold and consumed, Connor said. “We have almost complete control of how it’s treated.”
Stunkel told those in the crowd that the city is looking at building a $20-million water plant, and sales tax revenue from expanded sales could generate more funds for that purpose.
However, Connor said that that is not the case, that funds for a water plant come from other sources.
Former alderman Jerry Swarm also compared the idea of expanding liquor sales to gaming.
Swarm, who said that except in two cases, he voted against additional liquor sales when he was on the council.
When the city began allowing gaming, he said, the council said it would limit the number of gaming establishments, and that has not happened.
Janet Potts, a retired teacher, also spoke out in opposition to expanding sales.
She said that she has been privy to many situations in which children were affected by their parents’ use of alcohol.
“I strongly urge you to think twice,” Potts said.
Speaking again at the end of the meeting, Potts said she understand that the aldermen have a tough job.
“I will be praying for this council and hope the right decision is made,” she said.
Her husband, Gary Potts, said that one question not answered in the surveys conducted by Paslay was, “Did it solve their economic woes?
“I don’t look at this as solving things. It’s going to make people question things. It impacts a lot of people,” Potts said.
“I think we ought to look at other opportunities,” he said.
Mike McCall, owner of Driftstone Pueblo in St. Elmo, agreed with Potts. “How much more do you think you’re going to make?”
John Workman, who owns Mach 21 Package Liquor in Vandalia and liquor stores in other communities, with his wife, Lisa, said, “Don’t do it for the revenue – it’s not going to happen.”
Lisa Workman said, “I challenge that this would take the city from deficit to prosperity. It would just chop into the existing pie.”
She, like McMillan, said that she’s not opposed to competition, as long as all are playing on a level field. She said that the two liquor stores in town would be competing with “four national mega-chains,” including Walmart.
“I ask you to consider whether the current liquor license law in broken,” she said.
Crawford said, “My take on this is this is a free-market economy.
“One of the first things I asked when I elected was, I never understood why alcohol is so tightly controlled,” Crawford said.
But, Connor said that because of the control the city has over liquor, “alcohol is not a free market.
“Once you begin to let that control out, you can’t get it back. I encourage this not to be a free market.”
Walmart was referenced numerous times as potential competition, and the manager of the Walmart store, Ken Wamble expressed his opinion.
“Would it help us out? Yes,” he said. “Would we have to have it? No.
“If we have the chance, we would like to have the opportunity,” he said.