Dear Editor:

On June 4, the voters of Brookhaven will finally be allowed to vote on whether or not restaurants will be allowed to serve wine. I wish this issue had been voted on 30 years ao. The amount of extra sales taxes generated by the city would have gone far to support any number of civic projects.

This is not a vote of good versus bad. It’s a matter of giving Brookhaven an economic boost that will help attract industry, new doctors, new jobs, and new businesses. Corinth and Oxford have both approved wine sales in recent years. Their sales taxes have gone up significantly. Brookhaven’s sales tax figures used to be comparable to those two cities, but not any more.

Some have mentioned that Brookhaven is a family-friendly city. I have friends and family who live in Hattiesburg, Ridgeland, and Madison. We visit these towns frequently and dine with family and friends at the restaurants of their choosing.

These three cities are very popular with people who want to raise their children in a family-friendly environment. Countless times we have had lunch or dinner in restaurants that sell wine. No one in our group has ever ordered wine, although it is available. I have never noticed a single negative thing related to the sale of wine.

What is SO wonderful is the extensive menu items that these restaurants are able to offer. Restaurants in Brookhaven will never be able to compete fairly with these out of town restaurants until we give them the right to sell wine with a meal.

Recently I told my friends and family who live in these three cities that Brookhaven will soon be voting on this issue. I asked their opinion, and they unanimously told me that the people of Brookhaven should vote YES on this issue.

They have lived with it all these years and they see the overwhelming advantages. I think it would be wise of us to strive to move Brookhaven in the same direction these highly desirable cities are going.

You can be sure that many business owners and civic leaders in surrounding counties are watching this issue closely and they want it to fail because they know that untold amounts of revenue will remain in Brookhaven instead of leaving Lincoln County.

The recent letter from a resident of Meridian told of a family gathering in Brookhaven. They had a nice time here in Brookhaven until it was time for dinner. They went to a restaurant in another county. This happens far too often. Sunday school classes, office parties, group get-togethers go out of town for their parties simply because our restaurants can’t compete fairly.

Let’s support Brookhaven and keep our taxes here so they can help us build sidewalks, repair streets, and improve the quality of our lives in so many ways. Please vote YES on this issue on June 4.

I love Brookhaven and I would never support something of this nature unless it was positively beneficial to Brookhaven’s future.

Jack McGee

A Lincoln County resident