PORTERDALE, Ga. – Members of the Porterdale city council have agreed to hold a special election on Nov. 5.
The election will hold two items on the ballot, including the replacement of one council member.
Post 3 representative Kelsey Peeples has notified the council that she is planning to leave the city of Porterdale as a result of a new job. Her last meeting was July 1.
Peeples first took office last year after succeeding now-mayor Michael Patterson in the Post 3 seat. She, along with current council members Bekah Sue Sewell and Halima Muhammad, were a part of the “Team Porterdale” group that was elected to office.
The second item that will be on the November ballot is to allow Sunday sales of distilled spirits (liquor) by package sales. This would be in addition to beer and wine sales, which are already allowed.
Council members approved a referendum to allow the item to be on the ballot during Monday’s meeting.
Discussion of this topic revolves around the new liquor store that is set to open in Porterdale in the near future. But not all council members were completely sold on the idea.
“I don’t know if they’re [the liquor store] going to be a good player or not. We just don’t know yet,” said Post 5 representative Lowell Chambers during the June 27 work session. “The idea that people keep asking and asking and asking… this is a similar situation of someone asking and asking more and more and more and really hasn’t delivered anything.”
While Porterdale does not currently allow the sale of distilled spirits on Sundays, Covington does.
Mayor Michael Patterson suggested that a referendum may be in the best favor of the council, citing a plausible scenario.
“The people that want to have distilled spirits will go a couple miles down the road and buy it from that liquor store,” Patterson said.
Both elections will take place on Nov. 5 and will be held within the city limits. Early voting times and qualifying periods to be announced at a later date.
Council members also approved a number of other items including:
The approval of the Quadient Postage/Folding machine lease
The approval of participation in the WEX State of Georgia Fleet Card Program for city fuel purchases.
An amendment of the code for terms of appointment to the historic preservation commission
Council members also approved the following names to the city’s historic preservation commission (HPC) and the zoning commission.
HPC
Denise Caldwell
Latl Ausley
Sheena Ortiz
Heather Leon
Zoning Commission
Daniel Rowell
Andrew Doster
Leigh Canada
Jamie Gilbert
Heather Leon
