MILTON — To some, restricting Sunday alcohol sales saves lives; to others, it also means restricting business growth and freedom.
Santa Rosa County switched from dry to wet in 2007, although it still bans Sunday alcohol sales in unincorporated areas.
The Sunday alcohol sales ordinance changed last year in Navarre to make the mainland ordinance match the beach. Gulf Breeze already allows Sunday sales from noon to midnight and only beer and wine thereafter.
In November, Milton residents can vote whether they would like to permit Sunday alcohol sales.
So what could the county look like if Sunday sales were permitted? No one can say for sure, but opinions abound.
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
In May, Milton Councilwoman Patsy Lunsford and Councilman Grady Hester voted against letting Milton residents show, through a vote, whether they favor Sunday alcohol sales.
Lunsford said she lost a family member to alcohol dependency and feared more lives would be lost as a result of alcohol being more available.
Councilman Jimmy Messick said city residents should make this decision. He said the city will act according to the majority vote, although the city’s action still requires a majority vote from the council.
Jay Mayor Kervin Qualls said he doesn’t believe anybody in his town will speak up for Sunday alcohol sales. The religious community, he said, “fought hard against liquor sales” in the ’90s.
Santa Rosa County District 2 Commissioner Bob Cole and District 4 Commissioner Rob Williamson disagree on the issue.
In August, commissioners discussed equalizing alcohol sales policy between Navarre Beach and mainland Navarre. Cole suggested Sunday sales across the county be eliminated, citing the Bible’s commands to keep the Sabbath day holy. He said changing policy for mainland Navarre to match the beach would be a “slippery slope” leading to the north end of the county asking for less restrictive policy.
With Navarre’s blue laws matched to the beach now for roughly nine months, Williamson said, “I heard arrests and crime would go up, but to my knowledge, it’s been pretty flat.”
Williamson, a recovering alcoholic, said, “I know all too well the negative impact alcohol abuse and addiction can cause. To say that not serving alcohol after midnight on Saturday is the reason why somebody is making those poor decisions is not something I agree with.”
While Williamson said if another commissioner doesn’t suggest putting county-wide Sunday alcohol sales on this year’s ballot, he will.
POLITICAL PARTIES
Sam Mullins, the Santa Rosa Republican Executive Committee’s chairman, said he has no problem with Sunday alcohol sales in the county, though he understands why others do.
“I don't like having nightclubs popping up and strip joints,” he said. “I haven't seen that … I like an occasional drink with dinner, a weekend wine with steak.”
He described alcohol as a socially “accepted drug,” but one society has said adults can take.
Libertarian Party of Santa Rosa County Chairman Geoff Hindmarsh released this statement on the matter: “… Such a ban uses the force of government to impose religious standards on people who adhere to other beliefs or none at all. In addition, the ban disrupts the free market, creating an uneven playing field across the county. The southern part of the county is not subject to the sales ban, adjoining counties differ as well, creating an undue burden on establishments in northern Santa Rosa …”
The Press Gazette reached out to the Santa Rosa County Democratic Party, but did not received a response by the time of this writing.
FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Hickory Hammock Baptist Church Senior Associate Pastor Dr. Greg Robards spoke against Sunday alcohol sales in Milton in May. He told the story of two young girls driving to church on a Sunday night killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver. He later noted that the accident happened in the 1990s before the county became wet.
“I feel in my soul if the county votes this time to not allow Sunday liquor sales, those who want it will continue to push it on the next election,” he said. “It seems to me those pushing for it are doing so for their own agenda and will keep pushing for it.”
“… Sunday is for church-going folks,” he said. “They’re on the road all day (for services and to dine with family).”
Ferris Hill Baptist Church Senior Pastor Brian Nall said while he agrees some businesses may see additional revenue, he asked what kind of impact more alcohol would have on crime and accidents.
He said his church’s ministry helps people every day “with brokenness in their life or family connected back over 75 percent of the time to some type of alcohol-related factor that caused their broken state.”
Nall did say he’d like to see a “full study to know the exact impact both economically and to the rest of society as well.”
As far as the constitutionality of restricting alcohol, Nall said, “I would contend across society so many laws are about some legislation of morality,” citing theft, lying and property rights.
Monsignor Michael Reed, of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Milton, said he’s been in Milton since he was 5 years old, when people couldn’t buy anything on Sunday, let alone alcohol.
Reed said, these days, “I do think alcoholism is a problem. I don’t want to encourage that, but I think that will be a problem no matter what … I knew lots of kids growing up that had terrible alcohol problems and (SRC) was dry. They had the money and the means to get alcohol anyway and they had to seek help with alcohol issues.”
“I’d be in favor of Sunday sales,” Reed said. “I think most people are mature enough to be able to be responsible with Sunday sales of alcohol. I don’t think it would make those with an issue worse.”
However, he said, “I guess if it’s true everything became worse, I'd be the staunchest advocate to leave Sunday with no alcohol sales,” he said.
CHILDREN’S ADVOCATES
The Santa Rosa Kids’ House serves child abuse survivors with services including medical examinations, counseling and Guardian Ad Litem protection, among others.
SRKH Executive Director Keith Ann Campbell said, “To be perfectly honest, I will tell you in most cases that involve child abuse, there is a lot of drug use. It is rare to see something that involves alcohol.
“I want to say overall, based on statistics, I really don't think it will make a difference, mostly because domestic violence happens whether there is alcohol or not. I don't think one day will increase that and, if it does, it would be so miniscule. We have a lot more problems with drugs. You would not believe how much (the Department of Children and Families) is involved because of meth labs … Most cases come from neglect, parents doing drugs or drinking and not paying attention to their kids, not getting medical care.”
The Department of Children and Families’ Northwest Region Communications Director DaMonica Rivas said DCF does not keep records on how many cases involve certain kinds of substance abuse, but only notes if substance abuse was involved. She said only case-by-case research would show statistics for alcohol-related DCF cases.
Rivas also said, “The likelihood of one more day (of alcohol sales) impacting (cases) DCF investigates, I don’t see how to make that correlation. There are multiple things that are causal factors.”
PUBLIC RECORDS
In September of 2015, the alcohol sales policy changed for the entire tourism development district to match Navarre Beach.
In October, county commissioners expanded the Sunday sales district to include everywhere south of the Yellow River.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office looked at offense reports of intoxication in this area from Sept. 1, 2014 through June 12, 2015 and found 88 cases. Reports from Sept. 1, 2015 to June 12, 2016 showed 65 cases.
Data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles show convictions for driving under the influence charges from the Florida Highway Patrol, the SRSO, and local police.
The numbers, which include arrests as a percentage of population to account for the population increase over the last 14 years, show a downward trend from 2002 to the year Santa Rosa County went wet, 2007.
From there, conviction numbers bounced between 0.21 percent and 0.27 percent.
A COMPROMISE?
Kyle Holley, who works as the Major Gifts Manager with the United Way of Santa Rosa, and has served in tourist development, development of the Agri-plex at East Milton’s June Ates Arena, and was a liaison between Tough Mudder and the Ates Family Ranch, supports Sunday alcohol sales.
The economic impact of Tough Mudder’s 2015 Santa Rosa County debut event was reported as $6.1 million. Tough Mudder usually runs Saturday and Sunday. However, the event was a single day that year because part of the Tough Mudder experience involves a free cup of beer participants receive at the end as well as beer sales during the event.
To entice the event’s return this year, the county created an event permit to allow events to sell alcohol on Sundays. Tough Mudder returned without incident.
Holley said he thinks restaurateurs would fare better with Sunday alcohol sales, “but from tourism, the most important part is access for special events that can drive traffic (to the county).”
As a compromise for non-event Sunday alcohol sales, Holley suggested an overlay around interstate exits to help entice hotels and restaurants.
If Milton residents vote in favor of Sunday alcohol sales in November, it is still up to the city council to make the change.
However, even if it does, unincorporated Santa Rosa County, like those in Pace, Chumuckla and Munson will remain Sunday-dry.
—
BY THE NUMBERS
Santa Rosa County’s driving under the influence convictions — according to the Florida Highway Patrol, local police and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office — are as follows. Since the population grew every year, DUI convictions are presented as a percentage of the population.
Year: convictions — population — percent of pop.
2015: 447 — 167, 040 — 0.27 percent
2014: 426 — 163, 422 — 0.26 percent
2013: 347 — 161, 096 — 0.22 percent
2012: 427 — 158, 575 — 0.27 percent
2011: 431 — 155, 787 — 0.2 percent
2010: 307 — 152, 895 — 0.2 percent
2009: 403 — 151, 759 — 0.27 percent
2008: 323 — 150, 356 — 0.21 percent
2007*: 387 — 147, 753 — 0.2 percent
2006: 334 — 144, 279 — 0.23 percent
2005: 309 — 142, 364 — 0.22 percent
2004: 427 — 138, 284 — 0.31 percent
2003: 464 — 132, 549 — 0.35 percent
2002: 505 — 128, 077 — 0.39 percent
*Santa Rosa County began allowing Sunday alcohol sales in 2007
Sources: The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and census.gov
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Should Santa Rosa County consider Sunday alcohol sales?