Delaware County commissioners direct petitioning after West Siloam Springs requests countywide Sunday liquor-sales vote

West Siloam Springs Mayor Scott Wilkerson asked the Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 25 to consider placing a countywide ballot question to allow Sunday liquor sales, saying Arkansas’s recent change to allow Sunday sales has hurt tax revenue in his town and that voters should decide.

"The people should decide," Wilkerson said during the discussion. He told the board that Sunday sales have reduced revenue in West Siloam and that allowing sales would help attract new business.

Commissioner Jake Callihan and others asked how many local stores would open on Sundays if the measure passed. Wilkerson said one store currently sells liquor in West Siloam. Cherie Cox, who identified herself as a liquor-store owner, said she would stay open to compete if voters allow Sunday sales but warned, "it will cost me money." Callihan said he polled county liquor stores when the issue came up a year ago and found most did not want to stay open; he repeated that finding during the meeting.

Commissioner David Beck said churches had contacted him urging the board to keep the issue off the ballot. Beck asked for a petition to determine whether enough residents support putting the question to voters. Commissioners Callihan and Chairman David Poindexter agreed that the petition process is the proper next step. No motion to place a countywide question on the ballot was recorded at the meeting.

The board took no formal vote to place the measure on the ballot; instead it directed proponents to pursue a petition to demonstrate voter interest before the board considers any formal placement on a ballot.