Residents wanting

a mixed drink in the unincorporated county will have to wait until next

year to see how the voters respond.

vote Tuesday, the Coweta County Commission decided to hold a referendum

in March, 2004 on mixed-drinks sales in restaurants.

The primary

reason cited by county administrator Theron Gay is the cost of holding

the election.

Since there

are no county wide elections this year, Gay pegged the cost at $50,000.

Next year, Coweta voters will head to the polls in March for the Presidential

primary race, so the cost savings would be significant, he said.

"We would

also be able to figure the cost in next year's budget," Gay said.

Last month,

the County Commission narrowly approved a call for a referendum on selling

mixed-drinks at restaurants in the unincorporated county.

A similar measure

failed in the county in 1997, but Newnan city voters approved liquor by

the drink in 1995.