Write by Ben Cox – A grassroots organization trying to change things in Brown County has had its first success, and the final hurdle awaits.
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“One set of rules for all” is the slogan of the Brown County Committee for Better Business, as they try to level the playing field for all businesses in Brown County that serve alcohol. Currently, some restaurants are able to serve without requiring a membership, while others must pay large fees and keep meticulous records in order to offer the same service to their customers.
The group had 60 days to collect the required number of signatures in order to have the proposal placed on the ballot in November, and they collected them in three weeks. Now, voters will decide whether or not the proposal is made into law.
The item will be placed at the end of the ballot in November, and simply voting a straight party ticket will not include your vote on the issue, according to group spokesperson Steven McCrane. “People need to know they have to finish the ballot. There’s actually a website, finishtheballot.com that will explain it better than I can. The wording on the ballot asks if voters are ‘For’ the sale of alcohol or mixed beverages in Brown County, we are asking that they vote ‘For’.”
This ballot item does not introduce alcohol sales to the county, it allows all restaurants to sell under the same rules. McCrane says this will benefit the bottom line for the county, as well. “The better our business community is for fair rules, the better it is for Brown County. It means more sales tax revenue because the restaurants are spending less money on fees and fines and bureaucracy.”
Smaller government is also part of the equation, according to McCrane. “Less government intervention, less fees and taxes, and more sales tax revenue which helps the community.”
The election is November 6th, information about polling places and to how to register to vote can be found on the Brown County Elections Office website.
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