Du Quoin mayor drops push for November referendum on marijuana

Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi said Thursday he is abandoning his push for an advisory referendum in November that would have gauged public opinion on allowing marijuana sales in the city.

Alongi said he still believes that 65% to 70% of voters in Du Quoin find it acceptable for the city to have a marijuana dispensary. But he also says that under the state's coronavirus reopening plan, holding a full public hearing on the topic is impossible until probably 2021.

Also, with the economic effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Du Quoin, the marijuana referendum has lost urgency for him.

"It's just not as high a priority as it was four months ago," he said. Alongi has estimated the city could lose at least $500,000 in sales taxes due to local businesses that have been closed or done less business since March.

As well, no one has approached Du Quoin with interest in setting up a dispensary, he said.

In February, Alongi said while he is no fan of marijuana, he supports legalizing sales in Du Quoin because of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes it would produce for the city. He also argued that since the Perry County Board already approved marijuana sales, a distribution center could open just outside Du Quoin's borders that would bring no benefit to the city.

Since then, however, Alongi said he's been turned around by people who have told him they think a referendum is a waste of time and money. Better to let the elected city council make the decision, he says he has been told.

"My position has not changed, I think the city needs the revenue," Alongi said. But he seems to be taking a longer view now that he did back in February.

"I don't think we have time to get it on the ballot," he said. The deadline to get a referendum on the November ballot is Aug. 17, but Alongi said the council is honor bound to hold a public hearing first, and that can't happen until the region moves into Phase 5 of the reopening plan, when more than 50 people will be allowed to gather in one place.

The city council initially scheduled a public hearing on marijuana for March 23. It was canceled when the COVID-19 pandemic caused City Hall to be closed to the public and council meetings started being held virtually.

Alongi said the council may not even need an advisory referendum if the public hearing makes it abundantly clear how most residents think about it.

Nor has it ever been clear that Alongi has the three council votes sewn up that he would need to get a referendum on the November ballot.