The recent Ohio County Wet/Dry election showed Hartford voters wanted alcohol sales in Ohio County, with Hartford’s precincts, A101 and A102, voting 263 yes to 243 no. Unfortunately, the county vote failed to pass by less than 350 votes. However, recent changes to Kentucky law will allow incorporated cities of any size to petition for a local wet/dry election. With enough signatures, Hartford can host its own local option election for the right to sell and purchase alcohol within the city limits.
http://surfky.com/index.php/ohio/news-ohio/107744-ohio-co-says-no-to-alcohol-sales
Despite the county election results, Beaver Dam voted to go wet earlier this year and will keep its right to sale alcohol. With Beaver Dam set to start alcohol sales, there will be little incentive for new restaurants and economic growth in Hartford unless the restraints on the sale of alcohol are removed. To promote new growth, more jobs, and tourism in Hartford the citizens must elect for the city to go wet.
Economic Development
Other Kentucky cities have opted to go wet when neighboring towns were enticing all the new businesses, to the detriment of surrounding dry cities.
From an article in the Lexington-Herald Leader dated November 30, 2009 regarding Lancaster, KY voting to allow alcohol sales:
"Lancaster Mayor Don Rinthen says the money comes from new restaurants and stores taking advantage of the now-legal alcohol sales, but that the money was never intended to be a savior for the local economy.
'What it has really done is put us on an equal footing with surrounding areas,' Rinthen said. 'We had Danville go moist and Nicholasville and Richmond (are) both nearby, and we're sitting here without anything to entice restaurants and other businesses.'
Nathan Mick, Garrard County's economic development director, said the main objectives of ending the ban on alcohol have been met. He points to Godfather's pizza as an example of a dining option near downtown that would not have opened but for alcohol becoming legal."
Safety
A study published in 2002 examined the characteristics of 39,344 alcohol-related crashes in wet versus dry counties in the state of Kentucky. The study concluded that "county-level prohibition is not necessarily effective in improving highway safety. In fact it may be counter productive in that individuals are driving farther under the influence of alcohol, thus, increasing their exposure to crashes." (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457502000428)
Freedom
This vote about the freedom for adults to have a choice in what they buy and sell in Hartford without governmental hurdles and constraints. It does not obligate anyone to purchase alcohol or consume it.
You must be a City of Hartford resident and legally registered to vote. If you question whether you are registered to vote in the City of Hartford, contact the Ohio County Clerk at 270-298-4422.