Double Oak Votes Nov. 3 on Whether to Allow Alcohol Sales
A citizen petition put alcohol sales on the ballot. Supporters point to sales tax and a planned shopping center; signs around town say no.
Alcohol sales are not legal in Double Oak today. On Nov. 3, voters in the small Denton County town will decide whether to legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed drinks, inside town limits.
The question is Proposition A. According to the ballot language posted by the nonpartisan guide The Gist, which copies official election materials, voters will mark for or against "The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages." A yes vote legalizes those sales in Double Oak. A no vote leaves the town dry.
How it got on the ballot
The election came from a citizen petition, not from the town council. The Cross Timbers Gazette reported in July that a group called Concerned Citizens for Double Oak Growth, working with the firm Texas Petition Strategies, delivered 688 signatures to the town secretary on July 17. It needed at least 616 valid signatures from registered Double Oak voters, a number based on turnout in the town's last governor's race. Denton County's elections office handled the verification.
Once the petition was verified, the council had little choice. At its Aug. 17 meeting, the Gazette reported, the council voted unanimously to call the election. Town attorney David Berman told council members that under the Texas Election Code, "the town has no choice but to approve the election ordinance and call for the election, without which the town could be sued pretty easily." Town staff estimated that the November election, including this item, would cost $10,000 to $12,000.
Illustrative: a Vote Here sign in Taft, Texas, in October 2016. This is not a Double Oak polling place. Photo: Jay Phagan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The case supporters make
The petition drive is led by former Mayor Bernie Carrico, who has lived in Double Oak since it incorporated in 1974. He told the Gazette the change would help the town diversify its revenue, raising sales tax collections and leaning less on property taxes.
Supporters tie the timing to a proposed commercial development at FM 407 and Simmons Road. The Gazette reported it is expected to include a grocery store and several restaurants, some of which would likely seek permits to sell alcohol if voters approve.
Mayor Patrick Johnson said Double Oak is under financial strain, like many cities, according to the Gazette, and that more sales tax could help without raising the burden on residents and property owners. Carrico also argued the town would keep control: "Our Planning and Zoning Committee and our council will still control what can go in."
The concerns
Not everyone in town is on board. The Gazette reported that the plan has caused concern among some residents. It also noted that signs around Double Oak, including near the proposed shopping center site, oppose both the center and alcohol sales. The coverage we reviewed did not name an organized opposition group or quote a resident speaking against the measure.
What voters are weighing
This is a local choice, and Texas law leaves it to the people who live there. It is fair to weigh the sales tax a grocery store and restaurants might bring. It is also fair to weigh what kind of town residents want Double Oak to be, and what comes with easier access to alcohol.
Scripture does not forbid every drink, but it warns plainly against drunkenness and calls believers to sober judgment. Christians in Double Oak may land on either side of this ballot. They can vote their conscience, treat their neighbors with charity whatever the result, and hold the council to its promise to watch closely what gets built.
How to vote
Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30, at Denton County sites. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. See what is on every Texas ballot this year, and read how a nearby town is rebuilding a road with Denton County money.
