Five years later, ABC vote has spurred growth in Mount Airy
May 4, 2008, Mount Airy — People in Pilot Mountain or Dobson wondering what would happen if voters in those towns pass a mixed beverage or ABC referendum on Tuesday can look at Mount Airy as a model for the kind of economic impact to be expected if the legislation were to pass. Voters in both towns will have the chance to go to the polls to vote yes or no on the measure.
June will mark the five-year anniversary of the passage of the mixed beverage referendum in Mount Airy and local business owners and those involved with economic development in the city say the addition of liquor by the drink has brought in much needed revenue and new business to the town.
... J.D. Bartley, head of the ABC board in Mount Airy, said the revenues from the ABC sales have steadily increased in the five years since mixed beverages were allowed, and added the revenues go directly back to the state and various organizations throughout the town. He said the number of businesses who are permitted to sale mixed beverages has grown steadily in the past five years, starting with two and now reaching 14 ABC wholesale customers.
"It is doing around $22,000 a month at the present time in average sales," Bartley said. "It was far less than that before liquor by the drink. I have been told liquor by the drink has been a major thing in recruiting industry into our town and we know that four or five restaurants would not be here if not for that. It has added something to the economic development to our city, but we have seen it grow gradually every year really with one, two, three people adding each year."
Bartley said the $22,000 figure is a rough estimate for liquor sales, but using that figure adds up to a yearly total of $264,000. He said the Mount Airy Police Department, the Reeves Community Center, the Mount Airy Public Library, The Surry Arts Council, Hope Valley Inc. and the City of Mount Airy all receive revenue from ABC sales ...
"We give every cent back to the community, every bit of it," Bartley said. "It's like the lottery or anything else. Those people who are going to buy liquor are going to find a place to buy it. Those people who are going to play the lottery are going to find a place to do it. It's better that we take advantage of those people who are going to spend those dollars."
— Thomas Smith, Staff Reporter, Mt. Airy News
June will mark the five-year anniversary of the passage of the mixed beverage referendum in Mount Airy and local business owners and those involved with economic development in the city say the addition of liquor by the drink has brought in much needed revenue and new business to the town.
... J.D. Bartley, head of the ABC board in Mount Airy, said the revenues from the ABC sales have steadily increased in the five years since mixed beverages were allowed, and added the revenues go directly back to the state and various organizations throughout the town. He said the number of businesses who are permitted to sale mixed beverages has grown steadily in the past five years, starting with two and now reaching 14 ABC wholesale customers.
"It is doing around $22,000 a month at the present time in average sales," Bartley said. "It was far less than that before liquor by the drink. I have been told liquor by the drink has been a major thing in recruiting industry into our town and we know that four or five restaurants would not be here if not for that. It has added something to the economic development to our city, but we have seen it grow gradually every year really with one, two, three people adding each year."
Bartley said the $22,000 figure is a rough estimate for liquor sales, but using that figure adds up to a yearly total of $264,000. He said the Mount Airy Police Department, the Reeves Community Center, the Mount Airy Public Library, The Surry Arts Council, Hope Valley Inc. and the City of Mount Airy all receive revenue from ABC sales ...
"We give every cent back to the community, every bit of it," Bartley said. "It's like the lottery or anything else. Those people who are going to buy liquor are going to find a place to buy it. Those people who are going to play the lottery are going to find a place to do it. It's better that we take advantage of those people who are going to spend those dollars."
— Thomas Smith, Staff Reporter, Mt. Airy News
posted by Strother | 10:18 PM
1 Comments:
Now if we can just get North Carolina to stop pretending it is Salem, MA and that it's 1716.
I work with people all over the world. When I tell them that you can only buy liquor from state-run stores and that each locality has to vote on whether to allow the state-run stores to operate, and that you can't necessarily get a gin and tonic with your steak everywhere in NC, the most common reaction is, "WTF?"
Vice is not illegal in North Carolina, it just has to be run by the state. Obviously, as long as the benevolent government is administering your vices, they can't possibly harm you. Right?
Ok, I'm done now. If I continue, I'm going to have to go find the nearest state legislator and punch him in the nose.
Post a Comment
<< Home