Athens City Council members may vote Thursday to ask the state Legislature for permission to vote outright on legalizing the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays within the city limits.

If approved by lawmakers, the resolution would then allow the council to vote directly on whether to legalize Sunday sales rather than let voters decide the issue in a future election, Council President Joseph Cannon said. 

Such a resolution is included on the council’s Thursday agenda. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. A work begins at 5 p.m.

For several years, council members have discussed the possibility of allowing Sunday sales. Although the current council could approve Sunday sales outright with a majority vote, a majority have said residents need to vote on such a change.

Some city officials and voters favor Sunday sales in the city to increase sales and alcohol tax proceeds and because other surrounding cities already allow Sunday sales.

Others are open to legal sales on all days but Sundays. Still others oppose the sale of alcohol in Athens.

Residents first voted in 2003 to legalize the sale of alcohol, except on Sundays.

In 2007, voters defeated an effort to repeal legal alcohol sales in the city limits.

A more than two-year effort to mount enough signatures to call for a vote on legalizing alcohol sales in Limestone County failed and was recently called off.