TYLER (KYTX) - The Tyler City Council unanimously votes to place a proposal for the legal sale of beer, wine and mixed drinks within the city limits on the November ballot. CBS 19's Amanda Roberson was in the council meeting when the motion passed and explains why is one group still fighting the motion.
According to the City of Tyler County Clerk's office, petition one which allows off premise sale of beer and wine inside city limits had 345 more verified signatures than required. Proposition two allowing legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants inside city limits passed with 218 more signatures than necessary. But opposition group "Stand Strong for Tyler" said the signatures aren't adding up.
"Their numbers and our numbers reflect completely different outcomes," explained Billy Horton with "Stand Strong for Tyler". The committee have been verifying city of Tyler alcohol petition signatures for 10 days. "So far we've contacted 2,700 people that signed and more than 300 have indicated that they did not sign the petition."
"Within the city's own verified names we're finding deceased individuals, individuals who did not vote on a petition and so we needed to ask why," added "Stand Strong for Tyler" attorney Norman Ladd. "Why do we have these names here? Why weren't they caught the first time?"
That's Ladd asked city council during Wednesday's meeting to wait on calling an election. "We would not have violated any laws by waiting to the August 8th city council meeting for this verification process to come through on our end."
"I don't claim that our process is perfect," City of Tyler City Attorney Gary Landers said.
Landers said human error can happen, but the city talked with election and legal representatives across the state to develop a five step petition verification process looking for problems like non-valid signatures and duplication and now state law calls for a vote. It's not really a decision the council's making. It's an example of the voters in this location saying they want government to call an election to give the voters the ability to directly decide this issue."
But even though the election was called, "Stand Strong for Tyler" said their not giving up on verifying votes because the November election is still more than 100 days away.
The opposition group is cross checking city copies of the petitions to look for errors. The group said out of 360 signatures they've cross checked, 12 are false.
Petitions have also been submitted in Smith County Precinct 2 for mixed drink sales in restaurants and beer and wine sales in stores. County leaders must also vote to put those measures on the ballot.
They're scheduled to receive the verified petition signatures next Tuesday morning before they can do that.
