Byrdstown Aldermen Approve Liquor by the Drink Referendum

A liquor by the drink referendum is on pace to be on the November ballot for Byrdstown.

The Board of Alderman voted unanimously to approve the item Monday night. Mayor Sam Gibson said the main goal is to give voters the opportunity to vote how they want and feel.

“Since we are elected by the people that we ought to give the people, the voters in Byrdstown, the opportunity for them to decide do you want liquor by the drink or do you not,” Gibson said.

Gibson said many people may travel to surrounding areas to attend restaurants that serve liquor. He said the only difference would be less travel if liquor by the drink was served at restaurants in Byrdstown.

“The Board of Alderman and I are not pushing liquor by the drink, we are wanting the people not to be dictated to, but yet have an opportunity to vote however they want,” Gibson said.

Gibson said you can never go wrong whenever you give voters an opportunity to decide what they want for themselves. He said if it passes the city of Byrdstown would get to regulate it.

“You can regulate it to the point that you make sure that it’s like a restaurant atmosphere, that you’ve got x amount of tables and chairs…” Gibson said. “We don’t want a bar, we want it as a restaurant referendum which people can go sit down and eat.”

Gibson said there still may be many people who enjoy a glass of wine with their meals. He said if there is enough people who vote for it then it will be accepted, but ensured the voting party will make the decision.

“That’s not for us to decide, that’s for each individual, whenever they go vote, to decide do they want it or do they not,” Gibson said.

Gibson said this project has been a topic of discussion for multiple years. He said there has been local community interest in approving this referendum to vote on.

“The biggest question that I get about restaurants here is ‘when are we going to get a Mexican restaurant,’” Gibson said. “I’ve gone and talked to them and pretty much the answer is ‘if you had liquor by the drink we would come.”