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Columbus County commissioners vote to place beer-and-wine referendum on November ballot after mixed public comment
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Summary
After hours of public comment for and against allowing beer and wine sales in unincorporated areas, the Columbus County Board of Commissioners voted to place three separate yes/no questions on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot covering malt beverages, unfortified wine and mixed beverages.
The Columbus County Board of Commissioners voted April 20 to place a referendum on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot asking voters whether to allow sales of malt beverages, unfortified wine and mixed beverages in unincorporated parts of the county.
Supporters at the meeting, including company representatives and local small‑business owners, told the board a countywide vote would level the playing field with incorporated towns and could boost local tax receipts and employment. "There's no actual alcohol decision being made tonight. It's just a chance for the people to speak in November," Amanda Bambrick, an attorney with Morning Star Law Group, told commissioners. John Preeti, director of real estate for Racetrack, said the company emphasizes compliance programs and training for beer and wine sales.
Opponents urged caution on moral and public‑safety grounds. "I stand tonight opposed to it going on the ballot," said Carl Brown of the Macedonia community, citing religious objections and concerns that alcohol availability could increase social harms and law‑enforcement costs. Tim Moore said placing the measure on the ballot risks enabling illicit sales and described personal experience with open‑county alcohol markets.
The board discussed statutory wording and the referendum structure (voters will answer separate yes/no questions for mixed beverages, malt beverages and unfortified wine). Commissioners also asked whether the ballot authorization would permit sales in hotels, private clubs and theaters; the county attorney said the statutory wording is prescribed by the General Assembly and that vote results would be followed by required local permitting and state ABC licensing processes. The attorney emphasized that placing the question on the ballot is an initial, procedural step and does not itself grant any alcohol permits.
After discussion, the board moved and approved the resolution to place the referendum questions on the November ballot. The motion passed and will allow voters to decide each category individually; if approved by voters, businesses would still need local site approval and state ABC permits before sales could begin.
The referendum placement is procedural: next steps include formal ballot preparation, any required county-level regulatory or planning review for license applications, and the state ABC permitting process if voters approve sales.
