Commissioners Court approves Local Option Election for Precinct 3C-Quemado & Normandy- to vote in November for the right to sell and consume Alcoholic Beverages
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Maverick County Commissioners Court held their regular meeting on Monday, May 12,2014, at the Commissioners Courtroom, in the Maverick County Courthouse, located on 500 Quarry Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas, approving a historic local option election for residents of Precinct 3C in Normandy and Quemado to vote if they want their precinct to go wet, that is, to be allowed to sell and consume alcoholic beverages.
Two items on the agenda pertaining to an order of a local option election to be held on November 4, 2014 in Precinct 3C-Quemado and Normandy, Texas-were addressed.
The first agenda item addressed was the confirmation and verification of signatures collected of qualified voters who are petitioning for the local option election for the sell and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Precinct 3C. The amount of signatures presented and needed are 10 percent signatures of registered voters living in Precinct 3C according to the Texas Election Code Title 17. A Local Option Election petition was turned in to the Maverick County Clerk’s Office on December 2, 2013 by interested Precinct 3C registered voters seeking to change the Precinct from dry to wet, allowing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Maverick County Elections Director Roy Schmerber advised Commissioners Court that all requirements for said action were satisfied by those petitioning for it to be placed on the November 4, 2014 general election.
“Precinct 3C has requested that an item be put on the November 4, 2014 election to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in Quemado and Normandy. They have presented a list of the voters who are interested in that. We have verified the names on the list and they are all registered voters. The number of signatures on the list is enough, as required by the state to call an election,” said Schmerber.
After discussion, Commissioners Court unanimously approved the December 2, 2013 petition for holding a local option election for Precinct 3C residents regarding the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages satisfying the required 10 percent of registered voters in the precinct.
The second item on the agenda pertaining to the local option election of Precinct 3C was the call for an order of a local option election be held in the November 4, 2014 general election as required by state law.
During discussion, County Judge David R. Saucedo stated that this item and action was being requested by a group of registered voters and residents of Precinct 3C.
Another petition for the call of an order for a local option election regarding the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Precinct 3C of Maverick County was turned in to the Maverick County Elections Office with 10% of signatures of registered voters in said precinct. Precinct 3C has a total of 567 registered voters and 10% are 56 signatures required to insure the call for a local option election.
After discussion, Commissioners Court approved the call for an order of a local option election for Precinct 3C regarding the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the November 4, 2014 general election ballot. An order of election will now be posted publicly calling for such election as required by law.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal research found that Quemado and Normandy, Texas have been dry since 1922 when prohibition became law in the United States. In 1933, the United States dissolved prohibition in its entirety and set up options for counties across the United States to either continue with the ban of alcohol in every form or reinstall the right to allow the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages by each community.
In 1933, Quemado and Normandy elected to keep the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in what was then Precinct 5 of Maverick County. In 1938, voters in the Quemado and Normandy Precinct 5 were allowed to vote during the March 26, 1938 election to either dissolve the ban or keep it. On March 26, 1938, then Precinct 5 voters decided to keep the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Quemado and Normandy, Texas. Thus, Quemado and Normandy have been been dry for 92 years since 1922.
Precinct 3C registered voters will now have the opportunity to vote to change the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Quemado and Normandy in the November 4, 2014 general election ballot. Quemado and Normandy registered voters will now debate the advantages and disadvantages of allowing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages leading up to the November 4th general election ballot.
Other Agenda items discussed and approved at the May 12th meeting were four items regarding the upcoming May 27th run-off election.
Item No. 11 was discussed and approved by Commissioners Court allowing the payment of cell phones for election judges and alternate judges to communicate with the Maverick County Elections Office during the May 19-23rd early voting period in the May 27th run-off election.
The Democratic Party election judges will receive $20 for one week while the Republican election judges will receive $10 for cell phone use.
Item No. 12 was discussed and approved by Commissioners Court to pay for the May 27th election workers to attend a state-mandated workshop prior to the election.
Item No. 13 was discussed and approved concerning payment of the M650 electronic vote counting tabulator-operator for both the Democratic and Republican Primary run-off elections in the May 27th election and to print the election results list for the Secretary of State.
Agenda No. 14 was discussed and approved authorizing payment for Arturo Delgado to preside over the test of the M650 tabulator machine prior to the May 27th election.
