Local committee files petition for local option election

The Graham Wet Committee filed a petition for a local option election with the city of Graham this month and looking to add a measure for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages within the city limits to an upcoming election.

A local option election was held in November 2016 for the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption in Graham, which passed with 53% of voters in favor of the measure. This new petition, filed Dec. 13 with the city, seeks to add a election measure for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages. The application for petition required 10 or more registered voters within the city. One of the voters, and part of the campaign, Debra DePriest, who works at 380 Beverage Depot in Graham, said the motivation for the petition was to stop the club membership rules at local restaurants.

“We decided to do it because of the club memberships that the restaurants have to maintain,” she said. “It’s a lot of jumping through hoops. They have to keep all the money separate from their restaurant, they have to pay a company to help them keep up with the names and stuff, because (...) if they were to get audited they have to have all the names, and they have to buy all their liquor in county.”

The Graham City Council was informed of the petition filed and the city’s compliance with the Texas Election Code for the request of signatures for the measure during their regular meeting Thursday, Dec. 23. Graham City Manager Brandon Anderson went over the process after the city received the application and what steps will be taken in the future regarding the measure.

For the rest of the story, see the Dec. 29 edition of The Graham Leader.