The DeKalb County Commission voted Monday night voted to create limited terms for the seven county beer board, who currently serve for life.

Fifth District Commissioner Anita Puckett made a motion at the regular meeting of the commissioners that the members serve as appointees with staggered terms. She suggested that the first, third, fifth, and seventh district positions be appointed in odd years, and that the second, fourth, and sixth district seats would be filled in even years, and that the beer board re-organize every two years.

"There are no guidelines or procedures for our beer board members, or appointment or structure of the board," Puckett told her fellow commissioners. "I would like to establish this by trying to create some orderly procedures. 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," she continued.

"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," Puckett said.

Some commissioners expressed doubt that enough quality board members could be found to serve under such a plan.

"I have no problem with this, but it's so hard to get anybody to make these unpopular decisions although it is written down as state law. If you give them an opportunity to see if they want to do it again they may say ‘No I'm fed up with it," said Seventh District Commissioner Larry Summers.

"It's hard to get people to do these things as it is," Fourth District Commissioner Wayne Cantrell agreed.

Puckett's plan passed on a 9-4 vote, with Elmer Ellis, Jr., Mason Carter, Joe Johnson, Jimmy Midgett, Jack Barton, Jonathan Norris, Anita Puckett, Betty Atnip, and Kevin Robinson voting for the measure, and Larry Summers, Wayne Cantrell, Jerry Adcock, and Jeff Barnes voting against it. Commissioner Bradley Hendrix did not attend the meeting.

Current members of the Beer Board are Jim Stagi (First District), Frank Thomas (Second District), Edward Frazier (Third District), Robert Rowe (Fourth District), Rhonda Caplinger (Fifth District), Leonard Dickens (Sixth District), and Johnny King (Seventh District).