BELTON, Texas — Recently, a group of citizens turned in over 2,100 signatures of City of Belton voters to City Clerk Amy Casey, launching the petition drive to gather the necessary signatures required for the election.
This comes after business and community leaders in Belton hosted a news conference at Napoli's Italian Restaurant to kick off a petition drive for a local option alcohol election.
The event took place on Thursday, Nov.16, at 11:00 a.m. at Napoli's, located at 110 E. Central Avenue in Belton.
The petition seeks to expand current alcohol sales to include fine wine, package stores, and create unified alcohol sales rules throughout the city.
The diverse group of residents, business leaders, and community members is pushing for a vote to legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages, in the City of Belton.
Andrea Shaw, realtor/owner of Shaw Properties, expressed excitement about the overwhelming support saying, “state law gave us 60 days to gather the signatures and we completed the task in less than 40 days and gathered 20% more than required by law.”
The initiative addresses business recruitment and retention challenges caused by varying alcohol ordinances, aiming to create a more business-friendly environment for family-owned establishments.
State law mandates approximately 1,867 signatures of Belton voters by January 12, 2024. The City Clerk will now verify the signatures, and if confirmed, the City Council will order the election for May 2024 at their February meeting.