State Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10th dist.) was joined by state Rep. Perry Warren (D-31st dist.) and Jim McCaffrey, of McCaffrey Food Markets, at DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Yardley for a news conference on the referendum that is expected to be on the ballot during the next election in Lower Makefield Township.
This ballot referendum would give residents the opportunity to vote to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in Lower Makefield, which is the only municipality in Bucks County that operates as a dry municipality.
In June of last year, Santarsiero had the state liquor code amended to reduce the number of signatures required to get a referendum on the ballot to 500.
“This is about giving the people of Lower Makefield a choice,” Santarsiero said. “Whether the referendum passes or not, that decision should be made by the residents. That’s what this referendum is all about.”
The local referendum process is governed by the Bucks County Board of Elections and requires a minimum of 500 resident signatures to be collected during a petition period, which will take place from Jan. 28 to Feb. 18. The petitions will then be filed and reviewed by the BOE’s solicitor, and the BOE must vote to approve the ballot question before it appears on the ballot.
McCaffrey, along with other restaurant owners in the area, have launched an awareness campaign to promote the referendum. More information on this campaign can be found at YourTownYourChoice.com.
