Alpharetta Shoppers Might Be Buying Beer, Wine and Liquor on Sundays in November

If more than 50 percent of the voters in Alpharetta approve, shoppers might be able to buy liquor, beer and wine on Sundays starting on Nov. 20.

Alpharetta City Council approved a local referendum on June 13 at to be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot for voters to decide if they want Sunday sales in Alpharetta. Senate Bill 10 was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal, which authorizes Sunday sales by retailers of malt beverages, wine and distilled spirits subject to a local referendum.

One change was made to the ordinance going before voters. On the first reading, the wrong draft was read and it left out liquor. That was fixed on second reading. So if voters approve, grocery stores with beer and wine retail licenses will be able sell beer and wine, while retail package stores that also have liquor (distilled spirits) licenses also will be able to sell it on Sundays.

"That's the only way you can submit it to the public as a referendum as provided by law," said City Attorney Sam Thomas.

State law sets the hours of sales also. On Monday through Saturday, sales can start at 9 a.m. and must end at 11:45 p.m. On Sundays, sales would be allowed starting at 12:30 p.m., and must end at 11:30 p.m.

Thomas said the ordinance would become effective on Saturday, Nov. 19, if more than half the voters in the election approved and the City Council has certified the election by then. That could allow retailers to start selling on Nov. 20.

Thomas said today that anyone currently licensed to sell by the package beer and wine, or beer, wine and distilled spirits would automatically be allowed to stay open on Sunday for those hours and make those sales.

"It only applies to people currently licensed or who get a new license," he said.

The city might decide to look at license fees in the future when it looks at the overall budget.

"We are not going to charge a separate fee for the Sunday sales at this point," Thomas said.

A delay in the vote certification by Fulton County for any reason would delay when the law went into effect, if voters have approved it.