The first steps to legalize the sale of alcohol in the City of Leitchfield could very well take place this Friday.

What began over a Friday night conversation has led to a countywide debate and a presentation to the city council, followed by a few residents with a plan to change the alcohol laws in Leitchfield.

During the last city council meeting Jason Thomas and Allen Tabor together asked the city for guidance in making the city a “moist” city and legalizing the sale of alcohol by-the-drink in the restaurants in the city.

The difference in a wet county and a moist or damp city is that the in a moist city alcohol can be sold by the drink only under certain conditions. There must be food sold at that restaurant and that restaurant must seat a certain number of people,

In a wet county alcohol can be sold in convenience stores and supermarkets.

Either way a petition must be passed or enough signatures must be collected before that vote will make its way to the ballot box and give the voters of the city a chance to be heard.

That petition, according to Thomas, should be ready for signatures by Friday.

“We need 524 signatures from city residents,” said Thomas, “because we are talking about doing this in the city only. This will not be a county wide thing.”

Thomas added that their goal is not about alcohol but about commerce and to bring industry in the form of new restaurants to the city and give a boost to those already here.

“Getting these restaurants here is not going to replace the factories we have lost but a few more places to work will add a few more jobs,” said Thomas. “Just look at the tax dollars we lose when our people go to other counties to eat at these same restaurants.

“I have had a lot of people come to me and tell me they are for this they just can not for one reason or another come out publicly in support of this,” said Thomas.

There are those who have spoken against legalizing alcohol in the county at all. Norman Chaffin has taught Grayson County kids the dangers of alcohol and drugs for the past decade and is strongly opposed to passing any kind of ordinance that will allow the sale of alcohol in the county.

“What kid of message does that send to our kids if I stand there and tell them the deadly effects of alcohol and then they ask me if it is so wrong why are we pass a law that will allow it sold here in our county?” said Chaffins. “I teach one thing and support a law that does another.”

A group of concerned citizens will meet one day next week to put the plan into action and Thomas plans to be present at the next city council meeting on Monday, November 2.