Several proponents of a “No” vote were about holding signs on Friday, December 23, in regards of the upcoming election scheduled for January 24, 2017. The vote will decide if Albany and Clinton County will be able to legally sell alcohol. This group was found at the intersection of U.S. 127 and Hwy. 1590 near the cluster of traffic signals.

On the other side of the question, local businessman Jim Soma, who circulated the petition that prompted the local option election, told the Clinton County News this week that while most local churches were supporting a vote against alcohol sales, he didn’t feel the question was necessarily a religion-based issue.

“It’s about growing our community,” Soma said. “We will be able to tax the sales of alcohol. It can be used for the police department and I would like to see some of it go to the fire department and the ambulance service. They are the ones who need it. For years we have been losing it to Tennessee. Now we are going to lose it to surrounding counties. Voting no is not going to stop alcohol.”