First petitions delivered supporting Sunday off-premise sales of alcoholic beverages

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Photo: Mountain Home City Clerk Brian Plumlee stamped the receipt of about 700 petition signatures Monday supporting Sunday off-premise sales of alcoholic beverages. Photo: Courtesy of Lang Zimmerman

The first batch of about 700 petition signatures supporting Sunday off-premise sales of alcoholic beverages was delivered Monday to Mountain Home City Clerk Brian Plumlee.

Supporters want to place a measure before registered voters in Mountain Home on the March 3 primary election ballot.

While alcohol can be served on Sunday in local restaurants, the sale at grocery stores, gasoline stations and liquor stores is prohibited, with the exceptions being the cities of Norfork and Salesville.

After file marking the petitions being received in the clerk’s office, Plumlee delivered the documents to Baxter County and Circuit Clerk Canda Reese Monday afternoon.

While the process requires the petitions to be submitted to Plumlee in order for the signatures to be validated, he must coordinate with Reese’s office, as the custodian of the county’’s voting records.

Plumlee says he’s estimating 450-500 of the signatures delivered Monday will be determined valid, meaning they are legitimate registered Mountain Home city voters.

While time is of the essence in securing the signatures, supporters learned this past week the deadline originally believed to be Dec. 3 is actually Dec. 26, which is 70 days prior to the primary election, according to municipal statute.

Supporters of the initiative say a minimum of 622 signatures of registered voters living inside the city limits of Mountain Home is necessary for the measure to be placed on the ballot. The number is based on 15% of the ballots cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Supporters say they need to secure the necessary number of signatures as soon as possible to allow the city council to take action on the measure. Without a special meeting, the council’s last regularly scheduled meeting this month is Dec. 19.

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