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July 2006 • Volume 3, Issue 7 This issue home | Past issues | Chamber home Beer/Wine Sales Petition Submitted To The City Of Richardson Richardson Residents for Quality Retail (RRQR) have announced the completion of the petition drive that expects to provide sufficient signatures of Richardson registered voters to put the issue of permitting the sale of beer and wine in Richardson’s grocery stores and some convenience stores on the Nov. 7 ballot. On Friday, June 30, Texas Petition Strategies, hired by RRQR to coordinate the petition drive, submitted to city secretary, Pamela Schmidt, more than 13,000 signatures collected during the 60-day time frame. In order to be on the November ballot, 9,279 valid signatures of Richardson registered voters are required. Consultant Sissy Day of Texas Petition Strategies commented: “We really found great support for the proposal, with very little opposition among those we contacted. Most of those voters we reached were in favor of beer and wine sales in Richardson’s grocery and convenience stores. Besides going door-to-door to obtain signatures for the petition, we also talked to citizens/voters outside of the Albertson’s, Kroger’s, Whole Foods and Wal-Mart stores and got a positive response there as well. Beer and wine sales are a huge revenue generator for these retail businesses,” she said. “For Richardson, which is surrounded by cities that already allow such sales in their grocery stores, it would mean that shoppers could stay in Richardson to get a bottle of wine or beer rather than spend their money in other cities. It would be more convenient for Richardson residents and the increased sales would help the revenues of Richardson stores. This is important,” Day added, “especially when you hear about some grocery chains closing down those stores with low revenues." Texas Petition Strategies has done petitions in 25 cities across Texas, about half of those in the Metroplex, during the last three years. According to Day, almost all of them passed the resolution when it appeared on the local election ballot. Heather Ridge Estates HOA President Don Wilson said: “At one time, I was with a bank in this area and tried to coax every one of the major grocery chains to put a store at the southwest corner of Renner Road and North Star. And their response was that they wouldn’t until they could sell beer and wine and realize those revenues for their operation. “Meanwhile, we’ve heard that another new grocery operation, which already has a store in northwest Plano, is watching the November election very closely to see if beer and wine sales will be allowed in Richardson grocery and convenience stores. “Because there is no major grocery store in the area, my wife frequently drives to Plano to do grocery shopping,” Wilson admitted, “and all those sales tax revenues are going to that other city, unfortunately. “Besides donating money to the RRQR PAC (political action committee), the board of the Heather Ridge Estates Homeowners Association has been extremely supportive on this issue because at every board meeting the question comes up, ‘When are we going to get a grocery store on that vacant southwest corner?’ “Really, residents of the area would prefer to have a major grocery store there, providing them the convenience of shopping nearby as well as to be able to pick up a bottle of wine or some beer without having to drive 15 or 20 minutes – and keeping their sales tax revenues in the city of Richardson, to be used for local services, maintenance and improvements.” Bill Sproull, president/CEO of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership, summed up the purpose of the drive: “It’s all about building a strong retail environment all across the neighborhoods of Richardson, with healthy sales and financial operations, providing needed goods and services to Richardson residents, local workers and visitors. Such an environment is a foundation for the community and for economic development because it can attract even more high-quality businesses – retail as well as corporate enterprises -- and people to Richardson. “The next steps are for the city to complete the validation of the signatures and for the council to officially put the initiative on the ballot. Of course, unless the proposal is passed at the election in November, we can’t take advantage of this opportunity. So it’s essential that as many registered voters as possible get out and vote this fall.” Action News is a monthly publication of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce Communications Department. To unsubscribe, e-mail administrator@telecomcorridor.com. Please provide your name, company, phone number and e-mail address. |
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