By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — The voters have spoken and the Sunday alcohol referendum on the ballot in Easley in November passed.

Easley City Council addressed the election win during last week’s meeting, changing the city’s ordinance to reflect the will of the voters.

City administrator Stephen Steese explained the changes before council voted.

“Back in November, the city voted to authorize Sunday sales for beer/wine alcohol,” he said. “Our code of ordinances outlawed any kind of Sunday sales. What this does is it repeals the section to allow Sunday sales.”

The other ordinance change dealt with closing hours.

“It is amended to allow for only off-premise consumption sales seven days a week,” Steese said. “That is your gas stations, your grocery stores. They will not be held to the closing hours that our bars and restaurants are held to.”

Steese discussed the changes with the city’s attorney and police chief Tim Tollison “to make sure that we felt that what was being presented was in line with what was approved by council to go on the ballot and what was approved by the voters in the referendum,” he said.

“That is what is in front of you today,” Steese said.

Council approved the ordinance changes. Councilman Terry Moore voted against the ordinance. Councilman Brian Garrison was absent.

Steese also updated council on the budget process.

“We are looking good,” he said. “We’re ahead of where we were last year on just about every line item.”

Business license fee revenues are up about $60,000 over last year, Steese said.

“We’ve been very fruitful in following up with delinquents,” he said. “We’ve had some that haven’t had licenses for a couple of years. We’ve followed up and got penalties on them. That’s helped push that.”

Councilman Thomas Wright announced that the annual Family Unity Parade will take place at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 8. Parade entries will line up in the parking lot near the former Bank of America location downtown.