Last Updated on February 25, 2022 – 8:34 PM CST
DUMAS, TX – A recently passed ordinance pertaining to the sale of beer in Dumas is headed back to the City Commission after a group of citizens filed a petition seeking to have the new ordinance decided on by Dumas voters.
On January 4, 2022, the Dumas City Commission voted to approve Ordinance #1205 which amended an older ordinance (#983) and changed local regulations dealing with the sale of beer within the city of Dumas.
The minutes from the January 4th city commission meeting state “Chris A. Rivera presented the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 1205 amending Ordinance No. 983 section 4.02.006 hours for sale of beer & wine. Terry Wiley and Mark Jennings spoke in favor of Ordinance No. 1205. Janice Stone, Charley Roys, Shirley Roys spoke in opposition of Ordinance No. 1205. A motion was made by Commissioner Willis, seconded by Commissioner Maples, and passed unanimously to approve the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 1205 as presented.”
A group of local citizens formed a committee after the new ordinance became law seeking to have the matter placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
“As we have visited with different individuals, those for and opposed to this ordinance, they have shared the same opinion. This ordinance should have been placed on a general ballot so the whole of Dumas, TX was truly represented.” Mark Jennings told the Moore County Journal on January 20.
Jennings along with 5 other petitioners began collecting signatures in late January for a referendum on the ordinance. At that time Jennings said the group needed to collect at least 150 signatures from registered City of Dumas voters. The group collected 184 signatures and submitted the petition to City of Dumas Secretary Tonya Montoya.
On February 11th Montoya said the original petition was insufficient and 46 of the 184 signatures collected were rejected. That left only 139 valid signatures remaining which was short of the required 150 signatures needed.
The current city charter allowed the petitioners ten days to remedy the deficiencies and file a supplementary petition to correct the noted insufficiencies. Jennings says he and the group began collecting signatures again and presented almost 300 signatures in their supplementary petition.
Friday the group received a Certificate of City Secretary from Montoya regarding the petition. In the certificate, Ms. Montoya notes that she received the supplementary petition on February 22nd, found that the petition was sufficient, and outlined the next steps which will be taken.
First, the ordinance will be reconsidered by the City Commission. According to the current city charter, which lays out the repeal process, “A referred ordinance shall be reconsidered by the commission…” The commission’s vote on the reconsideration will be to answer one question, “Shall the ordinance specified in the referendum petition be repealed?”
If the ordinance is repealed by the City Commission, Ordinance #1205 will no longer be in effect and no further action will be taken. However, if the City Commission does not repeal the ordinance it will be sent to voters in November to decide whether the new “beer” ordinance remains or is repealed.
The City Commission will consider and act on the petition at its March 1st meeting.
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