Effingham County voters may get a chance in the next couple of months to determine if they want Sunday alcohol sales.

Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to direct county staff to take the necessary steps to hold a referendum on March 15 to allow sales of alcohol by the drink on Sundays.

Lori Brown, who holds the liquor license for the Sweet Water Grill, urged commissioners to amend the alcohol serving hours that she said puts her business at a disadvantage. Brown asked the commissioners to change the hours of serving alcohol from 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Saturday to 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

“These changes would allow us to effectively compete with Rincon, Springfield and Chatham County establishments,” she said. “On any given night, we lose customers to Rincon and Chatham County establishments because we have to shut down at midnight.”

Charlie Kea of the Community Progress Council of Effingham asked the commissioners to do what they could to reshape the alcohol serving laws. His group backed the February 2008 referendum that led to alcohol by the drink in the county.

For more, see Friday's edition of the Herald.