Brownsville Sifts Through Two-Dozen Liquor Store Applications

Brownsville Sifts Through Two-Dozen Liquor Store Applications
September 14, 2012

When the liquor store application deadline passed this afternoon at 4:30 city hall reported they’d received 24 sealed envelopes.

Each envelope contains an application to license a package liquor store in Brownsville; although it seems clear 24 separate would-be store owners did not submit the applications.

Brownsville officials would not release the names of the applicants Friday saying they don’t know their identity themselves. The procedure required paperwork be submitted in a sealed envelope. City hall workers said as applications came in, they were placed in the office safe and have not been opened.

Sources said it appeared some applicants might have applied for stores in all three zones to increase their odds of winning should the selection process end in a lottery. The city’s ordinance states there can be only three stores and each must be located in a specific geographic zone. If there are multiple qualifying applicants, a lottery will be held to determine who wins the licenses.

City Attorney Michael Banks said Friday that the envelopes will be turned over to a Jackson, Tennessee accounting firm Monday. The accounting firm is charged with reviewing and certifying the documents. Banks, who cautioning that he could not speak for Mayor Jo Matherne, said he expected government will release the names of all of the applicants early next week.

In any event, Brownsville taxpayers are the early winners. The cost of application submission is $500 per application. Two-dozen applications produced $12,000.

Liquor stores were made legal by popular vote in the June city election.