Toccoa Now To Work on Implementing Sunday Sales

With the referendum on Sunday sales of alcohol by the drink for on-site consumption having passed, the city of Toccoa is now turning its attention to preparing for the implementation of the new rules.

City voters approved the referendum by 18 votes, 216 to 198, on Tuesday at the polls.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said that Sunday sales will not happen immediately.

He said that the city will have to re-write the city’s alcohol ordinance to account for the new regulations.

“We will ask the ABC board to review an ordinance amendment and if they so recommend it, it will go to the city commission for consideration,” said Morse. “A fee for that Sunday sales license will be established and incorporated into the ordinance.”

Also, Morse said that the city will have to put the state law on the matter into the city’s current ordinance.

“The state has specific guidelines for Sunday sales,” said Morse. “It includes hours of operation, that sort of thing. They will have to comply with state law, which is in effect city ordinance.”

Morse said that process will take some time.

He said January 1 may be a date for implementation that could work for the city.

“If we can get it done that soon, that would be a good date to shoot for I think because that is when the current ABC licenses are renewed,” said Morse. “I think that all sort of works together.”

Morse said the referendum only gave the city permission to allow Sunday sales of alcohol by the drink for consumption on the premises of places like restaurants.

It does not allow for alcohol sales on Sundays at places like package or grocery stores.

Morse said businesses will only allow places that can sell on Sundays by the drink to sell the same things that they do the rest of the week.

“If they just have beer and wine, it will just include beer and wine on Sunday for them,” said Morse. “If they have beer and wine and mixed drinks, then it will include all three on Sundays. Whatever their current license is, that is what the Sunday sales license will be.”