Bamberg County voters get say on Sunday alcohol sales

Bamberg County Council in July approved an ordinance calling for a countywide referendum on the issue. The referendum will be conducted during the Nov. 8 general election.

“Like any other political issue, it’s going to have support and it’s going to have opposition. The rationale is not whether the issue is a good thing or a bad thing. We just wanted to make sure that the citizens of Bamberg County had the opportunity to vote in favor or against,” Council Vice Chairman Dr. Jonathan Goodman II said.

Approval by voters would allow stores to obtain permits to sell beer and wine on Sunday, with permitted restaurants and bars being allowed to serve alcohol, including liquor, by the drink.

ABC stores that sell bottled liquor would not be authorized for Sunday sales.

“Each municipality within the county still would have their own autonomy. So if they wanted to opt out or opt in, they could. If there is a business outside of a municipality’s city limits, they would fall under the county as opposed to a city ordinance,” Goodman said.

“The service will be allowed in the cities; however, the city council would need to vote to accept it. I believe it is by a simple resolution vote. Also, any business that completes the paperwork that the state requires and pays the fee can sell (alcohol) on Sunday,” County Administrator Joey Preston said in an email.

It was during an April 4 meeting that the issue was first brought up. During that meeting, the administrator explained that the referendum’s passage “means nothing to the cities unless the cities sign an intergovernmental agreement with the county.”

“The cities have to opt out of it if they don’t want to be a part of it. They would have to vote to opt out of it. However, if they opted out of it, it would probably between them and the state and their attorney and the court system or whatever. … There’s probably many different answers for that,” Preston said.

Voters in Orangeburg County approved Sunday alcohol sales in 2016. Calhoun County voters did so in 2018.