Residents to vote on 1944 liquor ordinance in November election

After carrying out several block walks in the community, Cisco's Salsa Company gathered enough petition signatures to place the 1944 liquor ordinance in Old Town Tomball up for a vote on the November ballot.

"We are so excited—we worked so hard and we got it done," said Laura Wilson, owner of Cisco's Salsa Company. "We are going to be encouraging everyone to come out and vote. I think it's going to make a difference because restaurants really drive our economy. We need to be restaurant-friendly in Old Town [Tomball]."

The liquor law—enacted 70 years ago in an eight-block downtown area of what was the original city limits of Tomball—states restaurants and bars cannot serve beverages with an alcohol content of 14 percent or higher. Restaurants in the Old Town area are permitted to serve beer and wine with a license, but are not allowed to serve liquor without applying for a special private club membership.

To place the ordinance on the November ballot, the petition had to receive 860 signatures of registered Tomball voters who live within city limits, Tomball City Secretary Doris Speer said. Cisco's received the official petition paperwork from the city of Tomball June 24 and had about three weeks to collect signatures with the help of nearby businesses and volunteers, said Denise Neef, special events coordinator for Cisco's Salsa Company.

Of an estimated 1,200 total signatures gathered by the July 18 deadline, city officials were able to verify 882 of the signatures as registered Tomball voters within the city limits, Speer said.

"I will present an item to Council on Aug. 18, so they can approve the resolution and call the election and then we will proceed to have an election on Nov. 4," Speer said.

With Cisco's private club membership, the business is able to sell liquor to patrons much like restaurants and bars outside of Old Town Tomball, however, it is subjected to more restrictions because of the 1944 ordinance. Now that the liquor ordinance will be up for voter approval, Wilson said she hopes more businesses will be encouraged to open in Old Town Tomball.

"Old Town Tomball has some potential to get some great restaurants," Wilson said. "We've been pushing to make it a cool, independent dining hub. We could have that creative side."

In preparation for the upcoming election, Cisco's is offering an open coffee forum with Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan in October to discuss the liquor ordinance and other city issues, Wilson said. If voters strike down the liquor ordinance, Wilson said Cisco's is planning to celebrate with a community block party on election night.