Dublin voters approved, in a large majority vote, the sale of liquor within the city limits.
Dublin City Manager Bobby Mendez reported that the passage will allow the sale of liquor at any type of business with proper leasing and licensing and without club memberships. The City Council will be able to set restrictions and guidelines when they pass the ordinance allowing the sale. Council members are expected to discuss the matter during their next regular meeting on Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in Dublin City Hall.
The special election was added to the Nov. 3 ballot after organizers gathered enough qualifying signatures last year and was delayed from the May elections which were postponed after the shelter-in-place order was declared for Erath County throughout April. Organizers stated they were most interested in getting it approved to allow for the sale of alcohol and mixed beverages at restaurants.
There were 759 Dublin voters who opted to approve the sale and 271 who voted against. (There were 21 voters who didn’t check either box.)
In a closer vote, Dublin voters picked challenger Eric Bullard (462 votes) over incumbent Ben Pate (442) for City Council Place 4. (There were 147 Dublin voters who left the option blank.)
Lingleville voters opted for School Board member Sonya Koke (322 votes) over challenger Tammy Kellar (153) in the Position 1 race. There were 74 ballots left uncast.
Unchallenged elections were also held for Shelby Slawson (State Representative District 59), Bruce Williams and Stacy Trotter (Justice, 11th Court of Appeals District, places 2 and 3), Alan Nash (District Attorney) and Sheriff Matt Coates. (Challenger Paul Tyus also appeared on the ballot for sheriff, but questions were raised by the district attorney’s office about many of the signatures on his petition to appear as an independent candidate in the election. Erath County officials reported it was too late to remove Tyus’ name from the ballot. Tyus received 2,558 votes and Coates received 13,333.)
Erath County voters followed state trends by picking the Republican candidate in every Federal and statewide race.
Erath County voters appeared at the polls in record fashion with 16,911 (70.28%) of the County’s 24,064 voters making their voice heard. There were 15,461 votes cast in-person and 1,450 absentee ballots cast. (Five ballots were left blank.)