Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

HOGANSVILLE—The Hogansville City Council discussed the idea of permitting the establishment of liquor stores in the city Tuesday night.

However, changing the ordinance would ultimately require citizens’ approval, explained Hogansville City Attorney Alex Dixon.

“There would have to be a referendum,” he said. “Citizens have to approve it before even the [council] is authorized to approve it. There would need to be a petition signed by at least 35% of citizens for the referendum to be authorized. Once it’s on the ballot, it has to be a majority of the voters that voted [on that issue.] It does not have to be over 50% of registered voters.”

Though a special election is possible, the item could be placed on a primary ballot as well.  Under the city’s ordinance, stores are allowed to sale beer and wine but not liquor. Restaurants in Hogansville are allowed to sale liquor. Troup County does allow liquor stores, but those sales are currently limited to the city limits of LaGrange and West Point, Dixon said.

“There are no packaged liquor sales permitted in the unincorporated areas of Troup County,” he said.

Hogansville City Manager Jonathan Lynn noted changing the amendment to allow liquor stores could potentially prove lucrative for Hogansville.

“Without trying to sound humorous, I believe we have a lot of people that would acquire their alcohol in our city limits if we had a liquor store,” he said. “I know we have a lot of people who take their money to Coweta County, Meriwether County and other portions of Troup County to buy alcohol. I believe there would be a generous amount of tax generated from that.”

He added that each city has jurisdiction to limit the number of liquor stores allowed in the city limits.

“It’s usually first-come, first-serve, and there’s a lot of paperwork right now to get an alcohol license,” Lynn said, adding that a least one person has made the inquiry in the last week about opening a liquor store in Hogansville. “It’s brought up time to time.”