In Plymouth, a win is a win, but perhaps not—if your side loses.
In a majority vote on Article 15, a ban on the sale of single serving liquor containers or nips, was approved by Town Meeting on October 21st in a 72-67 vote—to go into effect July 1st.
But Peter Balboni, owner of Pioppi’s Liquor store, and a vocal advocate against the ban, wants to change that deadline, and is promoting a town-wide vote on the matter.
WATD’s Bobbi Clark has more.
Liquor store retailer Peter Balboni says a petition to have the issue become a ballot question is posted in many of the town’s liquor stores:
“The ban was a very close vote—so the Town Meeting members are divided on it. We’re asking the public, registered voters, to go out, and sign the petition in their local stores, and have it be on the ballot, so everybody has a word in this. This is America’s Hometown—what’s going to be next, a tax on tea?”
And what’s next takes place at the direction of Town Clerk Kelly McElreath:
“The special election will only occur if 3% of registered voters sign this petition and it’s submitted to the office of the Town Clerk within 10 days of the Town Meeting. That 10 days would be October 31st, next Tuesday.”
A special election has a high price tag, says Sustainable Plymouth’s Ken Stone:
“According to the Town Clerk, this referendum will actually cost approximately fifty-seven thousand dollars of taxpayer’s money.”
And, Stone adds…
“Not only did Town Meeting vote for the ban, but the Select Board voted for the ban, the Board of Health voted for the ban, the town’s Plymouth Center Steering Committee voted for it—multiple organizations have supported this effort.”
