Y’s Hometown Foods owner Dusty Wise and Brownsboro City Council member Glen Vest offered varying views on Saturday’s low voter turnout. Paul Bryant Photo Less than 30 percent of the registered voters turned out for Brownsboro’s local option liquor election, and Y’s Hometown Foods owner Dusty Wise said that was more disappointing than having the proposition defeated.

“We came close. My only regret is that more people didn’t come out to vote. It’s the same way with our school-board and city elections. We just don’t see a good turnout in them.”

One-hundred and fiftythree people — or about 27 percent — cast their votes on Saturday. Over 500 Brownsboro residents are registered to vote. The proposition was defeated 84-69.

“It seems like this would be an important enough issue that more people would have voted,” Wise said. “I think now, as a town, we need to put our heads together to get more businesses.”

But Brownsboro City Council member Glen Vest suggested the controversial election may have discouraged some from voting.

“As for the low percentage of voter turnout, there’s just not much you can do about that when you have so many on both sides of this issue out knocking on doors.”

At least one opposition group — Citizens Against The Local Sale of Alcohol — distributed propaganda materials that warned legalizing the sale of beer, wine and liquor for off-premise consumption in Brownsboro would destroy families, lower property values, increase crime, and cost the city money. It also encourages people who “want” alcohol to buy it “20 minutes outside of our town ... a safe distance from our children.”

That group is chaired by Tom Bragdon, pastor of Leagueville Baptist Church. He could not be reached for comment.

“The voters have had their say,” Vest said. “Now, we will turn our focus back to and continue with the programs we have been working closely on with the Brownsboro Economical Development Comittee and Keep Brownsboro Beautiful to bring more retail business in this community.”

Brownsboro was the only one of three East Texas cities on Saturday not to become at least partially wet. In Troup, voters approved the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants but defeated two other propositions allowing the sale of beer, wine and liquor for off-premise consumption. Voters in Jacksonville approved the sale of beer and wine for offpremise consumption and the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants.

Wise’s motivation to petition for the liquor election in Brownsboro was based on the city’s sales-tax revenue. According to state figures, that number was $126,000 in 2009, and he said people who leave town to buy alcohol elsewhere might as well spend their tax dollars in Brownsboro. The closest liquor store — Turn Fork Package Store — is about 13 miles away on Farm-to-Market Road 314.

But even in a wet Brownsboro, selling beer, wine, and liquor would be diffi- cult. Texas law allows municipal governing bodies to prohibit the sale of alcohol within 300 feet of a public or private school, church, or child-care center.

The restriction may reach 1,000 feet if municipal governing bodies request boards of trustees of school districts to set the regulation.

In Brownsboro, Y’s is within a block of a daycare center and within two blocks of Brownsboro Junior High School.

Two convenience stores are also within feet of a church and school.

Wise has owned Y’s for more than 18 years. He’s also a board member for the Brownsboro Economic Development Corporation.

Forty-two counties in the state were classified as “completely wet” last November, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Thirty were classfied as “completely dry.”

The others, including Smith and Van Zandt counties, are partially wet.

Brownsboro is not eligible for the same local-option liquor election for one year, according to state law. That limitation does not affect elections in which a different ballot proposition is presented to voters.