Politics & Government

Voters Take Measure on Alcohol, Education Tax and City Center

Ballots for Alpharetta and Milton include Sunday alcohol sales, Fulton Schools education sales tax and in Alpharetta, a $29 million bond referendum

Voters in and have more than City Council members to elect. They also have two or three ballot questions local officials want answered, ranging from the Sunday sales of alcohol by retail stores to an education SPLOST.

Sunday Sales Votes in Both Cities

Voters in both and will get to decide if retailers in their communities can sell beer, wine and liquor in package sales. Until now, only restaurants can sell those by the drink on Sundays.

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Most communities in the surrounding area put the question on the ballot. It could happen that communities vote differently, leaving some cities "dry" for retail stores on Sundays, and some allowing the sales.

Even if approved, the measure gives the retailers the right to sell if they have the appropriate license. They aren't required, but it's hard to believe many will fail to add such sales if voters OK it.

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Fulton County School System's special local option sales tax vote, or as some call it, is intended to raise $913 million through bond sales to fund infrastructure improvements at schools throughout the county. A few would get additions–usually through the addition of "mobile classrooms," while most would get significant repairs or renovations. All residents within the school district's boundaries–everything outside the city of Atlanta's school district–are eligible to vote to decide if this bond referendum passes.

The chief worry of this ballot question's supporters is that voters will confuse the "E-SPLOST" with the "T-SPLOST," when the latter transportation sales tax won't be on the ballot until July 2012.

In Alpharetta, voters will have an additional ballot measure. The City Council has placed a on the ballot to fund its City Center downtown development project. The bond sales would fund a new City Hall, a parking deck, a town green and infrastructure improvements to the entire 22-acre site.


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