After a 4-3 vote on Tuesday, the Starkville Board of Aldermen will host a public hearing regarding a proposed amendment that could loosen the city’s current restrictions on alcohol sales.
The first public hearing is September 5 and the second is September 19.
The current alcohol ordinance states alcohol can not be sold within a 250-foot radius from a school, church or funeral home.
The proposed amendment adapts the minimum Mississippi statutes, which allows alcohol to be sold within 100 feet of these institutions.
The new ordinance would also allow beer with a nine percent alcohol content to be sold, whereas the current ordinance only allows five percent. The amendment would also extend the hours of sale for alcohol from 12 to 1 a.m. on week days. 
Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said the change would be beneficial to the city because the current ordinance prevents a nightlife area from growing downtown.
Because Main Street is surrounded by churches, Spruill added, a 250-foot radius around each worship facility encompasses most of Main Street.
“Almost all of our Main Street is eaten up with that 250-foot radius,” Spruill said. “It limits our ability to have retail establishments of that nature in our downtown, and I don’t want our downtown to die after 5 o’clock. I’ve been saying, ‘Alive after five’ and that’s my goal.”
Chris Taylor, a partial owner of a local business, said he was in favor of the amendment.
“I really think y’all need to look into that ordinance and let the people decide,” he said. “Just listen to them because…that extra hour, just think about all those people that are employed for that extra hour.”
However, some Starkville residents, like Dorothy Isaac, are against the proposed changes.
“That alcohol is not going to do us any good…More crime will be committed,” Isaac said. “I go to church, and the roads are full of beer cans. I really hate to get up and go see it like that. If it ain’t broke, why do we fix it?”
During the board meeting, Ben Carver, Ward 1, Henry Vaughn Sr., Ward 7 and Vice Mayor Roy Perkins voted nay on hosting the hearing.
Vaughn said his Christian values made him feel convicted to vote against the public hearing.
“I’m one of the ones that leads in prayer a lot of times and I just feel like that’s double jeopardy with me leading in prayer and then sitting down and making a decision to change the hours and change the distance from a church,” Vaughn said. “I feel like that’s double standards and I don’t want to have double standards. I just want to trust God. I feel a conviction to do that and I don’t think that’s the right thing for me to do.”
Aldermen approve 2 percent tax raise to benefit MSU
Aldermen also heard a presentation on the Mississippi State University budget of 2 percent funds.
An additional sales tax of 2 percent is added on top of the existing 7 percent sales tax at MSU. Spruill said this benefits more than just MSU.
“MSU uses it for the things that they outline,” Spruill said. “Our parks department uses it. Our general fund budget uses it. Our Convention Visitors Bureau and our Economic Development Authority uses it, so we split it.”
Dr. Regina Hyatt, MSU’s vice president of student affairs, said the money is used to “enrich the student experience.”
Student Association President Tyler McMurray echoed Hyatt and outlined what the money supports. 
“Over the past year, we used that money to go toward Bulldog Bash, Cowbell Cabs, the Global Lecture Series, which is designed to enhance cultural diversity on campus, as well as the Lyceum Series, which brings in international acts and national acts, Music Makers and the Old Main Music Festival,” McMurray said. “So, coming up this year, we plan on using the money in pretty much the same way.”
 Contact Katelyn Poe at [email protected].