The issue of packaged alcohol sales may come up again after a shakeup on the Rossville City Council.

Councilman Joe Moore was forced to vacate his city council seat after qualifying last week for the Walker County Board of Education Post 2 race.

Moore, along with councilmen William Earl Morton and James Crane, voted earlier this month against permitting package beer and wine sales while Councilman Rick Buff and Mayor Johnny Baker supported the sales. The council was scheduled Thursday to meet to discuss the special election to fill Moore’s unexpired term, and the winner of that election could be the swing vote on the package malt beverage sales issue, an official says.

“I’ll let the council take the lead on (package beer and wine sales),” Baker said. “I don’t support packaged beer and wine, but I support not going up on taxes when there are opportunities for solid business decisions for the better of Rossville.”

“I regret the loss of my seat on the Rossville City Council due to my qualifying for the Walker County school board,” Moore said Tuesday in a prepared statement. “I appreciate the opportunity of representing the citizens of Rossville and, certainly, I will remain involved in our city’s interests."

Special election scheduled

Rossville's charter contains provisions for a special election to fill council vacancies, Rossville city attorney John Davis said.

If the council OK’s holding the special election in conjunction with the general primary on Aug. 20, qualifying will be held at Rossville City Hall during the first two weeks of July, Rossville Elections Superintendent Russanna Jenkins said.

Baker believed Moore “knew what he was doing and wanted to get out of the city council by trading off for the school board position,” he said. “All you have to do to find out whether you can or not is call the (Georgia) secretary of state.”

Democratic Party Chairman Julia Sexton said she did not know the state’s constitution does not permit anyone to hold two elective offices, except under special circumstances.

“I’m sorry I did not bring that to Mr. Moore’s attention before he qualified,” Sexton said.

Moore is not angry about the situation, he said. He agrees that the law is clear and will comply with it.

“I pride myself on being an honest person,” he said. “We have many qualified Rossville citizens who can join the fine men who currently serve on the Rossville City Council.”

Mayor predicts malt beverage reflux

Baker returned Tuesday from the Georgia Municipal Association convention in Savannah where Georgia’s city officials meet to compare notes.

“All cities in Georgia that I talked to that are growing and successful and moving are wet,” he said. “Everybody in the city is against me, but they’re going to put up with me for another year and change, and, if I can make things better for Rossville, I will.”

“I’m not in this thing to try to be the most popular mayor that ever was,” he said. “I want to treat everybody fairly, and I want to represent people that really, really need help, and that’s my mission.”

Baker, who was sworn in as mayor in January 2000, has said if he seeks reelection, he probably will not campaign aggressively.

“If somebody runs for mayor that I think would do a worse job than me, I’d probably run again,” Baker said. “I wouldn’t go out and campaign, but I’d stick my hat in there. I’d donate $500 to the city to say ‘We still need help.’”

Moore gears up for school board race

Moore said he is looking to the future in his school board run. He will compete in the Aug. 20 primary election against fellow Democrat and Rossville police officer Edwin Stevens.

If elected to the school board, Moore thinks he can make the decisions necessary to help Walker students and parents, he said