Johnson County
Liquor question may be settled
Tuesdays passage of Rio Vista’s liquor option election by 47 votes may finally put the matter to rest.
“I truly hope this is the end of it,” said Rio Vista resident Brenda Hall. “I know everyone is tired of it, but I’d like to thank all the supporters who came out and voted for it, they’re the ones who got it passed.”
Tuesday’s vote marked the seventh election since 2005 to address the proposal of allowing the sale of liquor within city limits for off-premise consumption.
Hall — whose daughter, Wendy Hall, owns Rio Vista Liquor — led petition drives to place the matter on the ballot in all but one of the former elections.
Voters rejected the proposal four times and approved it twice, before Tuesday’s election. Judges subsequently voided both elections in which the matter passed based on illegal votes and signatures. Tuesday’s vote represented the largest margin yet of any of the liquor elections.
Rio Vista resident Pamela West successfully challenged both elections in which the measure passed in local district courts. West said on Thursday that she has not decided whether she will challenge Tuesday’s election.
“I’m undecided because I haven’t really thought on or looked at the results yet,” West said. “I’m thinking there’s probably no need to go back since the two court cases, which we won, haven’t affected the matter. I’m not saying I don’t think there is stuff still going on, but if people don’t want the truth, I don’t know why I should keep spending my money on it.”
West said she is as tired as everyone else of the numerous elections addressing the matter. She said she doesn’t think Tuesday’s vote reflects the true feelings of the Rio Vista community.
“It wears you down and makes Rio Vista look bad,” West said. “I talked to a lot of people who told me they weren’t going to vote in it because they’re sick of it and figure what they think doesn’t count. Why keep banging your head against the wall?”
West said she opposes the sale of liquor in Rio Vista and voted against the measure, but her court challenges had nothing to do with liquor.
“My problem is that the elections have not been conducted properly,” West said. “Yes, I don’t support the sale of liquor, but if it’s a good vote, the election done properly, I don’t have a problem with the outcome. I do think those who did vote for it are going to have to take some responsibility for the wrecks, DWIs and other problems we’re likely to see associated with this.”
West said she’s considering sending documents related to the elections to the justice department.
“It doesn’t really have anything to do with liquor,” West said. “It’s that the voting system in the county needs to be fixed. But, not all, but some in the county get defensive when you bring that to their attention instead of trying to straighten out the problem, which is why I’m not sure it will never get taken care of, and that’s a shame.”
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