The measure easily passed with 322 votes, or 71.71 percent, for, and 127 votes, or 28.29 percent, against.
Ken Cooke, Rockdale Development Board president, said the board’s objective was to bolster economic development.
“It’s not like Rockdale is going to explode all of a sudden because this passed. We just want local dollars to stay local. It’s not about the drinking for us. This is one less hurdle for a business that would be looking at our market,” Cooke said.
Dr. David Gonnella, Landmark Missionary Baptist Church pastor, who headed up the opposition,
said, “This is a sad day for Rockdale, for we have chosen dollars over the safety of our citizenry, but a far sadder day will be when we have the first victim of a drunken driver who is tanked up at a restaurant offering liquor by the drink.”
In the Rockdale City Council election, Griffin Rogers III won the West Ward council seat, with 186 votes. Challenger Douglas K. “Doug” Williams received 150 votes.
In the race for Rockdale’s East Ward, incumbent Councilwoman Gerry Offield received 61 votes defeating Mary Phillips, who received 48 votes.
Rockdale school board member Barbara Grayson was re-elected to Place 6, receiving 329 votes, to challenger Russell Fischer’s 223 votes.
Cameron school district voters re-elected trustee Willyne Stanislaw with 301 votes, and elected newcomer Jay Beckhusen with 284 votes. Trustee Larry Green was defeated after receiving 275 votes.
In the special Cameron school board election, Eddy Young defeated Lorenzo Majors for the unexpired term of Mike Zajicek. Young received 264 votes to Majors’ 253 votes.
Buckholts school district voters re-elected the two incumbent board members, A.W. Zajicek Jr. who received 60 votes, and James Pollard, who received 79. Challenger Eric Solomon received 52 votes.
In the Buckholts City Council election Hal Senkel was elected mayor, defeating Ricky McCall, 54 votes to 34 votes. The two candidates were seeking the mayor’s post after Angela Morgan announced she would not be a candidate for a new term.
Milano school district voters re-elected trustee John L. Paniagua, with 45 votes, and seated newcomer Kim Lenz with 38 votes. In the four-candidate race for two at-large seats, Jay Willingham received 31 votes, and Scott Malovets, four votes.
