County tackles task of implementing alcohol sales

Judge Executive Chyrill Miller (left) and Treasurer Emily Martin read over Kentucky statutes governing retail alcohol sales.
Judge Executive Chyrill Miller (left) and Treasurer Emily Martin read over Kentucky statutes governing retail alcohol sales.

Marshall County, fresh from a special election decision to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages, has embarked on the task of implementing Tuesday’s vote results.

Retail business will bring economic gain to the county, and tax revenues will add to the county coffers. But it will be some time before those activities can begin.

The process, as prescribed by voluminous state laws, will take at least two months, Judge Executive Chyrill Miller said.

“I don’t see us being able to get any licenses issued before 60 days,” Miller said. “We have to draft the ordinance, read it in Fiscal Court twice – we may have to call special meetings.”

Studying the legislation and doing research on all the components of county government regulation of an alcohol retail industry will take much time and effort, she said. Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall is studying the state regulations, Miller said.

Miller described the statutory requirements as “vast and very confusing.”

That means, Miller said, “We’ve got to be careful. Right now, there’s more that we don’t know than we do know.”

Lyon County Judge Executive Wade White and Trigg County Judge Executive Hollis Alexander are offering advice and help after having presided over the change from dry to wet in their respective counties in recent years.

Miller said she has received copies of the ordinances enacted by the Lyon and Trigg fiscal courts to implement the transition.

She also said that, for the time being, she is serving as the county’s alcoholic beverage commissioner. She indicated she will probably remain in that post while she completes a year of service as judge executive.

She was appointed in January by Gov. Steve Beshear to the post in place of her late husband, Mike Miller, who had just won reelection the month before when he collapsed and died Dec. 15 at age 70. Chyrill Miller was appointed to serve until the general election in November of this year.