A request will be made to amend the current city ordinance and let businesses refrigerate light wine and beer in the city of Oxford at tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
Local attorney Dee Hobbs of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC, will be submitting the request on behalf of his client, Craddock Oil Company, which owns twenty-six convenience stores in Mississippi and employs more than 200 people.
“Its 2013. It’s time to get this behind Oxford so we can move on to bigger and better things,” said Hobbs. “One of the two biggest alcohol distributors in the area has told me that this will increase every convenience store and every grocery store’s beer sales by 10-15 percent.”
Robyn Tannehill from Ward II on the Board of Aldermen has confirmed that she will vote for the law to be amended at the Alderman meeting on Aug. 20.
“I will be voting to support the amendment change to allow for refrigerated beer to be sold,” Tannehill said.
Tannehill said that selling cold beer will help benefit Oxford.
“I think that Oxford as a town is a business, and we have to compete with other businesses that are towns with what we offer and the conveniences with what we provide our citizens and visitors and that this is a common sense decision,” she said.
Ulysses Howell, Ward IV on the Board of Aldermen, has concerns about drinking and driving in relation to selling cold beer.
“A lot of people will get that cold beer and they are going to pop the top which leads to drinking and driving more. If it’s hot, at least you would head home to get it refrigerated,” Howell said.
Student Teresa Jones, an intern for the city of Oxford, campaigned for the mayor and believes that the older citizens will have the most “pull” in this decision.
“I campaigned this past election. Seriously most of the people who voted were the older generation,” said Jones, a junior political science major from Rolling Fork. “In order for the law to be changed, the younger people need to go to the aldermen’s meeting and let their voices be heard.”
To clear up any confusion from other rumors and reports, the public will not get their chance to share their opinions at this board meeting. Tonight will be the first of three hearings by the board which will only include this request being made.
The second hearing will be Tuesday, Aug. 6, and will be open for public debate. The board will then vote at the third hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 20, and announce its final decision.
