The DeKalb County Commission Monday night voted to establish terms for members of the Beer Board.
Currently, the seven members of the beer board serve for life or until they resign.
Fifth District Commissioner Anita Puckett wants to change that. In addressing the issue Monday night during the regular monthly county commission meeting, Puckett made a motion to have all seven members serve as appointees and that the terms be staggered with the first, third, fifth, and seventh district positions being appointed in odd years. The second, fourth, and sixth district seats would be filled in even years. Puckett also wants the beer board to re-organize (name officers) every twenty four months.
“As many of you know there are no guidelines or procedures for our beer board members or appointment or structure of the board. I would like to establish this by trying to create some orderly procedures,” said Puckett
“I’d like to make a motion to create orderly procedures or guidelines. One would be staggering years of appointment or reappointment of the said members. Even districts would be voted on in even years and odd districts in odd years. I would like to implement this in April 2016. We would either reappoint or look at appointing new members for the second, fourth, and sixth districts. In April 2017 we could look at the first, third, fifth, and seventh districts. We as county commissioners can contact the beer board members in our districts to see if they are still interested in this position and then bring names back to the floor and we can vote. Also I would like reorganization of the members to take place every twenty four months,” she said.
Seventh District Commissioner Larry Summers expressed reservations about establishing terms for the beer board because of the difficulty in getting citizens to serve. ” I have no problem with this but it’s so hard to get anybody to make these unpopular (beer board) decisions although it (procedure for granting a beer license) is written down as state law. If you give them ( incumbent beer board members) an opportunity to see if they want to do it again (be reappointed) they may say no I’m fed up with it,” said Summers.
Fourth District Commissioner Wayne Cantrell agreed with Summers. ” It’s hard to get people to do these things,” he said.
Puckett’s motion was adopted on a 9-4 vote.
Commissioners Elmer Ellis, Jr., Mason Carter, Joe Johnson, Jimmy Midgett, Jack Barton, Jonathan Norris, Anita Puckett, Betty Atnip, and Kevin Robinson voted in favor.
Commissioners Larry Summers, Wayne Cantrell, Jerry Adcock, and Jeff Barnes voted against the motion.
Commissioner Bradley Hendrix was absent.
Current members of the Beer Board are Jim Stagi in the 1st District, Frank Thomas in the 2nd District, Edward Frazier in the 3rd District, Robert Rowe in the 4th District, Rhonda Caplinger in the 5th District, Leonard Dickens in the 6th District, and Johnny King in the 7th District.