A measure to vote for or against the legalization of all alcohol sales in the city of Frisco will be on the May ballot.

The political action committee Frisco Committee for Economic Growth submitted a petition to the city asking to legalize all alcohol sales in Frisco.

City Secretary Jenny Page certified 9,943 signatures on the petition on Sept. 21, according to the city.

The number of certified signatures needs to exceed 9,789 to call an election, according to state law.

Page was expected to present the certified signatures to city council at its regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 6.

In June, the political action committee retained Texas Petition Strategies, a petition company, to seek signatures for the petition.

“I just think we’re not quite ready for this; [packaged liquor stores are] not needed in Frisco right now.”

—Will Sowell, Frisco City Council member

The group missed the July 17 deadline to have the measure on the November ballot. However the group turned the petition into Frisco’s Office of the City Secretary with more than 15,000 signatures on Aug. 21 in order to make the May ballot, said city spokesperson Dana Baird.

Since approval in 2002, beer and wine sales for off- and on-premise consumption, as well as sales of mixed beverages at restaurants are allowed through the city’s permitting and zoning process.

The committee wants to expand on the 2002 ordinance to include packaged hard liquor sales. Currently Frisco has no liquor stores within its city limits unlike surrounding cities, including Plano, The Colony and Little Elm.

The committee treasure Jeannean Hefner said changing the law would benefit Frisco on many levels.

She said the main benefit is to bring the maximum economic potential from the $5 Billion Mile projects.

However several city officials expressed their opposition for the petition in August saying packaged liquor stores are not needed in Frisco because there are many stores in bordering cities.

City Council Member Will Sowell said he had not heard a lot of feedback from the community so he does not think residents want this measure.

“I just think we’re not quite ready for this; [packaged liquor stores are] not needed in Frisco right now,” Sowell said in a previous Community Impact Newspaper story.