County commissioners Monday will vote on taking the first steps toward allowing on and off premises alcohol sales in the county.
A resolution requested by commissioner Lavern Coleman would place a beer and wine referendum on the November ballot.
Currently, sales are allowed only in municipalities of Bolton, Brunswick, Chadbourn, Lake Waccamaw, Tabor City and Whiteville, according to the N.C. Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) board. The last countywide sales referenda was defeated in 2003.
The resolution before the board Monday would allow voters to choose whether to allow the sale of beer, wine and mixed drinks for on- and off-premises consumption in rural areas.
The resolution specifically calls for permitting sale of mixed drinks in “hotels, restaurants, private clubs, community theatres and convention centers” as well as the sale of beer and wine on- and off-premises for “qualified establishments.”
Columbus County is one of the few counties left in the state that does not have countywide sales of beer and wine, according to the ABC board website. Fewer counties have mixed beverage sales in unincorporated areas.
Municipalities in Columbus also do not have so-called “Early Sunday” sales. Sale of alcohol here is prohibited before noon on Sunday.
In 96 of 100 counties, alcohol sales are allowed in some form. A 2022 vote in Bladen County allowed for heavily restricted sales in unincorporated areas, but mixed drink sales outside of towns are still prohibited there.
If the resolution is approved, the measure will be on the Nov. 3 ballot countywide.
