VIDEO: Making Changes To The Alcohol Restrictions In Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Changes to the city of Starkville’s alcohol ordinance have been hot topic for some time now, and on Tuesday night city leaders voted to make some of those desired changes.

In a 4-3 vote, the Starkville Board of Alderman passed an ordinance that extends the hours alcohol can be sold.

On Sundays through Wednesdays, alcohol can now be sold until midnight, and on Thursdays through Saturdays, alcohol sales will end at 1 A.M.

The ordinance also allows businesses to serve beer with eight percent alcohol content, and changes the proximity that alcohol can be sold from churches and schools, going from 250 feet to 100 feet.

The vote caused mixed reactions from city leaders.

“We are very proud that Starkville is founded with a lot of the church communities,” said Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker, who voted in favor of the ordinance. “That’s what has started the city of Starkville, but as the city has grown and as the city continues to grow, we can’t let that be an inhibitor of that growth. We want them to be a part of it and meeting the state statue allows the city to continue to thrive and grow with the churches still being a part of that.

“My constituents and I do not want to smell all of this joy juice, all of this alcohol, beer, and whiskey going to church on Wednesdays and Sunday mornings,” said Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, who’s opposed to the new ordinance. “We do not want all of this worldly appearance, this worldy environment, the worldly atmosphere when we go to church on Sunday mornings.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to have Dr. Debra Prince fill the vacant position on the The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees.

Dr. Prince is currently a professor at Mississippi State University.