For the second time Cobb County voters have said they want to be allowed to buy alcohol on Sundays. The measure passed by 72.69 percent.
In March voters in unincorporated Cobb County, Marietta, Austell and Powder Springs . However, Smyrna, Kennesaw and Acworth were barred from voting on the issue in the March primary because they’d voted on the measure in November.
Not so fast said Justin O’Dell, an attorney with Cauthron, Nohr and O’Dell. He filed a suit on behalf of former State Rep. Roger Hines of Kennesaw asking that the vote be thrown out because not all the municipalities in Cobb County were allowed to vote. Other counties allowed city residents to vote on Sunday sales in unincorporated areas, including Cherokee County, which had its countywide referendum the same day as city alcohol votes in Canton, Holly Springs and Woodstock in November.
Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee said the county’s attorney had advised the Board of Elections incorrectly about how to proceed with the vote and acknowledged that it was a mistake. After a special meeting, the Cobb County Board of Elections agreed to a revote.
Now after being put to a second vote, the measure has passed once again. The will meet Aug. 6 to certify the July 31 results, and if the measure passes and is certified, Robert Quigley told Patch in March that stores will be able to pick up licenses for Sunday sales Aug. 7 and open for business Aug. 12.
Smyrna residents are Cobb residents and taxpayers as well and, therefore should have a vote in all county-wide issues...just as Cobb residents have a vote in all state-wide issues and Georgia residents have a vote in all national issues. Hines deserves praise for protecting our rights at the ballot box. It would have been a terrible mistake to allow this bad precedent to stand.