The Smithville city council approved a measure that will allow beer to be sold for off-premises consumption 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and permit eligible dining establishments to serve beer on the property by a 3-2 margin last week.
After a public hearing on the matter at a special meeting Thursday evening, Aldermen Danny Washer, Gayla Hendrix, and Jason Judd Murphy voted in favor of adopting the changes on second reading.
Alderman Tim Stribling and Shawn Jacobs voted against the measure.
 A large public turnout for the meeting brought a crowd of Smithvillians to city hall to either support or denounce the controversial measure.
Only residents, property owners, and business owners in the city were permitted to speak as per procedures adopted by the council in a 2008 resolution.
Wallace Caldwell, Michael Pinegar, Bobby Thomason, Bernard Houk, Bill Shaw, and W.J. White all offered opinions against the changes, while Faye Fuqua stood to show her support for the adoption of the new laws.
The city has previously has allowed  beer to be sold from 6 a.m. until midnight Monday-Saturday, with no sales offered on Sunday and Christmas Day.
Restaurants did not have the option of serving beer on their premises under the old regulations.
Twelve businesses inside the city limits are currently licensed to sell beer, including Walmart, Food Lion, Dollar General Store, Mapco Express, Kwik-N-Ezy, Jewel's Market, Village Market, South Congress BP, West Broad BP, Eastside Citgo, El Mariachi, and Mercadito Chabelita.
In his remarks to the aldermen, Wallace Caldwell of Anthony Avenue said he was disappointed that some members of the council were supporting the measure in light of the fact that city voters have already voted against liquor sales twice this year.
Wallace asked the mayor to veto the action of the aldermen if the changes were approved.
“I think that I speak for several of the people in Smithville. If not I speak tonight for myself,” Caldwell told the assembly. “I'm very disappointed in the vote of the majority of this council. We, the people of Smithville, have voted and said ‘no’ to liquor by the drink in two referendums.
“Some of the same people may have voted for these people that have voted to allow beer sales 24 hours a day, seven days a week and on Christmas Day and also now want to drink it in establishments,” Caldwell continued.
“I know that some of you may think that liquor and beer are two different things. Well, I've always said you can paint stripes on a mule and call it a zebra but it’s still a mule. So call this what you want. It's still alcohol by the drink. The main things that these people want when they consume either liquor by the drink or a beer is alcohol.
“Will this be the first step in getting liquor by the drink against the wishes of the majority of the voters of Smithville by saying we're losing thousands of dollars in taxes? We already drink beer so now let's drink liquor. I think we've gotten by pretty good without all the tax dollars we say we're losing,” he said.
Michael Pinegar of Dearman Street brought in spread sheets with his conclusions on the actual revenue that the proposed changes would bring into the city,
“We keep hearing all the time how much revenue this county and city is losing on account of beer sales,” Pinegar said.
“I put together some figures concerning this proposed tax revenue dealing with these extension hours, and basically you're adding six hours to each convenience store and on restaurants. Since they are not available to sell it now, I based it on Cookeville.
“I put down that they would be allowed probably 16 hours. Most restaurants are not even open that length of time. For a convenience store, we're talking about 3,120 hours additional sales during a year. A restaurant would be 5,024 hours.
“I looked in this week's circulars which came in my mail. I picked out six beer prices. Of those six beer prices I came up with an average of $1.15 per 12-ounce can. That's what I'm basing these figures on. I've also rounded up the tax rate to three percent instead of the 2.75 percent, which it actually is.
“As far as the restaurants, I checked with some of those in Cookeville. The average 12 ounce cup of beer brought $2.50. At the three percent rate, that means the city gets seven and a half cents. If they sell 500,000 cups of beer, the city would get $37,500. They would need to sell 85 beers per hour to reach that goal. So I believe with the figures I've got, they should pretty well reflect the maximum revenue that can be brought in during this time period. The city would get a combined total of $54,750 total additional revenue if 1, million additional beers are sold. They would have to average selling 240 beers per hour to achieve this amount,” Pinegar said.
Bill Shaw a local Baptist minister, pled for the council to defeat the proposition on moral grounds.
“I don't have anything against you,” Shaw told the board. “But I hope and pray you'll realize what you're doing. I know what alcohol can do. When I say alcohol, I'm talking about liquor and beer. Not only drugs. I know what it can do to home. I know what it does to families. Children are involved. Your city is involved. You're going to be putting more pressure on all your law enforcement.”
Bernard Houk, pastor of another local Baptist congregation, also disapproved on moral grounds.
“I watched the video of the last meeting and the person that made the motion and the one that seconded the motion, I voted for them,” Houk said. “I grew up with them. But if I could vote again today I'll tell you right now I would have to reconsider my vote because of the intentions of this vote that is being made.
“I think it’s property value. Your property is worth more if you can promise somebody that they can sell beer if they buy it. Most of us here are smart enough to figure that out. I ask you, don't pass this. You can do it. You can run it right through over us. Please don't expose our children to this,” Houk concluded.
Another Baptist minister, Bobby Thomason, asked for a referendum on the matter.
“I stand in opposition to this,” Thomason said. “My deepest concern is for our citizens of this city that we live in.
“We have dear children. We watch over to protect our children and not put anything before them that would harm or hurt them and take their lives. A lot of times we're not successful in that. We lose a lot of young lives to different things.
“I stand opposed to this because it’s not about the dollar to me. Our city, I think, is in pretty good shape. I think when we let the dollar overrule our moral needs and our lives then we're in piddling business. We need to stand up for what's right.
“I urge you with all of my heart, for our citizens, for our children, for our grandchildren. For a better community we don't need alcohol. We need a lot more love. We need a lot more understanding. I would ask this council that with something of this importance that you would put it to the city voters for all of the people of the city to vote on.
“This is not life or death. We can make it without the tax dollars. We have so far. If it’s voted in, so be it. If it’s voted down, so be it. But let your community that elected you do so,” he said.
Faye Fuqua expressed her support for the members who voted for the measure.
“I'm very concerned that there is some Phariseeism and some legalism and this type of thing in this decision tonight or in this presentation from the group here,” Fuqua told those present.
“We're all concerned about what goes on in our community but I think we can strain at a gnat and swallow the camel. I believe that most of us have no problem in going to Cookeville or to Nashville and having dinner in a restaurant, Applebee's, Logans, there are many places that we're all very comfortable in. This board has carefully studied and is looking out for the welfare of our community and looking out from the business perspective part of it,” she continued.
“I would hope that they would know that there are some of us who are committed Christians, committed to the church who do not think that this is shameful. We're very concerned that you who have represented us so well and have studied the issues and have taken this vote, that you would have to come here tonight and hear these kinds of remarks. There are those of us who do not feel this way and understand where you're coming from,” Fuqua said.