Heath residents will decide in May 2027 whether to legalize packaged liquor sales in the city after a citizen-led petition forced the question onto the ballot.

Former state Rep. Justin Holland, who now chairs the Heath Park Board, publicly opposed the measure in a guest column published Sept. 15 in the Rockwall County Herald-Banner. Holland, a sixth-generation Rockwall County resident who served on the Heath City Council from 2011 to 2016 and in the Texas House from 2017 to 2025, said his opposition centers on the city's identity.

"I have decided to vote 'no,'" Holland wrote. "My position comes down to the kind of community I want Heath to remain and the responsibility we have to take care of it as it grows."

The ballot measure would allow the sale of all alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption only. If approved, packaged liquor stores could operate within city limits. Holland argued the decision goes beyond any single store or location and would permanently change Heath's commercial landscape.

How the election got here

An independent petitioner gathered signatures from Heath voters to trigger the local option election. Under Texas Election Code Section 501.032, a petition needs signatures from at least 35 percent of registered voters who cast ballots in the most recent governor's race. Once that threshold is met, the city council is legally required to order the election.

Holland acknowledged that point in his column, writing that the council has no discretion to reject a valid petition regardless of members' personal views.

The question first surfaced publicly on June 23, when the Heath City Council's agenda listed an executive session on the local option petition. At a special called meeting on Aug. 17, the council voted unanimously to deny an ordinance that would have placed the measure on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.

Mayor Jeremiah McClure explained at that Aug. 17 meeting that the election had to be ordered at a regular meeting, not a special session. He said the council would return to the issue at a future regular meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Scott Dodson and council members Ryan Moorman, Johnny Myers and Mitch Ownby were present for the unanimous vote. Cindy Horne and Michelle Thurgood were absent.

Holland cites growth concerns

Holland pointed to Heath's rapid growth, noting the city had fewer than 500 residents in 1970 and now has nearly 12,000. He said Heath has limited commercial land and growing infrastructure needs, and that the choices made over the next 10 to 15 years will shape the city for the next generation.

Holland wrote that a package liquor store does not belong in that vision. He said he plans in coming months to discuss land use, zoning, traffic, commercial development, the petition process and the long-term consequences of the measure.

No public statement from the petition's organizer or any supporter of the measure has appeared in available records. The exact number of petition signatures and the date the petition was certified have not been disclosed. The Heath City Council has not yet scheduled the meeting at which it will formally order the May 2027 election.