City delays vote on alcohol ordinance

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse City Council unanimously decided Tuesday not to pursue a special election, which would allow residents to vote on the city's alcohol ordinance.

Instead, the election will be held Nov. 6.

The ordinance, which allows restaurants to serve alcohol for on-site consumption, came under fire by a group of residents shortly after it was enacted in February.

The resident group circulated petitions and gathered the 944 required signatures, which were certified Monday by Davis County clerk/auditor Steve Rawlings.

Currently, the city's alcohol ordinance is suspended until the November election happens, and the City Council recently suspended requests for beer licenses to a Winger's restaurant and a nearby golf course.

Rawlings' certification forces an election, which could have come as early as June 26. Rawlings cautioned the city about trying to hold an election that soon, saying the council should consult with the city attorney to figure out what to do.

Council members decided Tuesday that there wasn't sufficient time to prepare for a June election.

"This couldn't have come along at a more horrible time," said Councilman Danny Hammon.

The printing company requires 45 days to get ballots printed, which means a tight deadline and added stress for city staff in planning for an election in short order.

There is also a legal issue, Hammon said, adding that state code doesn't make it clear if the rules for regular general elections apply to special municipal elections.

Syracuse Mayor Fred Panucci wanted to hold a special election in June to get the issue resolved.

"Our town center is under development right now," Panucci said. "Our developers are deciding what pads to put down right now."

He said "major players" have already backed out of a development where a new movie theater is scheduled to be built.

"They're unsure of the direction Syracuse city is going right now," Panucci said.

He acknowledged that a June election might favor petition sponsors, but he said he would rather have businesses know where Syracuse stands, though it might mean a fast-food restaurant will come into the city instead of a full-service restaurant.

Councilman Lurlen Knight said he thinks there will still be opportunities for restaurants to come into the city down the road.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com