Wilton Will Decide on Sunday Sales - Eventually

While liquor store doors have opened all over Connecticut because of the , Wilton’s alcohol shops will remain shuttered on Sunday until the town votes otherwise.

“Since Wilton did not vote to end prohibition in this town, we are not part of the state’s [liquor law] rules,” said Selectman Harold Clark at Monday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting in .

Clark said that once the legislation is released to and reviewed by the selectmen and the town council, they would welcome feedback from the Wilton community, and that a change in the ordinance to allow Sunday liquor laws would ultimately come down to a vote. Until then, liquor stores are not allowed to sell alcohol on Sunday in Wilton, as this is illegal under current town rules, as these ordinances take precedence over Conn. law. 

“Wilton has very strong views on this issue, and we’ll be delighted to listen to what those views are,” he said. “It will probably wind up being a town vote at a special town meeting, as it has been in the past.”

“Please be gathering your thoughts, because before voting time, we’ll need to hear from you,” said Clark.

Wilton has had a unique position of lengthy prohibition: According to Robert Russell’s Wilton, Connecticut: Three Centuries of People, Places, and Progress, Wilton remained dry for a century and-and-a-half, repeatedly shooting down proposals to make the town alcohol friendly in the years of 1879-1881, 1904,1934, 1953, 1977, 1983 and 1987. In 1992 Wilton allowed alcohol to be sold in restaurants, and just recently allowed liquor to be sold in town. Near the end of 2011, Wilton voted to  to sell beer.

Clark stood in for First Selectman William Brennan, who was absent from the meeting.