CENTRE — Dozens of “Vote No” signs posted along Main Street and a mangled automobile in the front yard of the First Baptist Church were not enough to prevent over 54 percent of 1,095 voters in Centre from approving the sale of alcohol beverages on Nov. 2.

A handful of residents, city officials and media members mulled about outside Centre City Hall Tuesday night in the minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m. As a city policeman and Mayor Tony Wilkie looked on from behind the locked front door, an election volunteer posted a small piece of paper to the glass.

Finally, everyone's eyes adjusted to the darkness and the numbers came into view: Centre had gone wet, with 599 “yes” votes to 496 “no” votes.

Pressed for an on-the-record comment, Wilkie took a few minutes to gather his thoughts before exiting City Hall. With a troubled look, the first-term mayor spoke solemnly of the challenge he and other town officials face going forward.

“Right now, I'm just trying to gather my thoughts as to what work the City Council has now,” he said. “Several hours, weeks and probably months are going to go into working on what needs to be done to make sure that what comes to Centre is going to be in a right, orderly fashion.”

Asked what positive benefits Centre residents could expect to come from the establishment of legal alcohol sales, Wilkie was non-committal.

“Right now, it's one of those situations where I'm try to grasp what has happened,” Wilkie said. “I really didn't know how this was going to go. Now, the outcome is here and the reality sets in. We have to progress very slowly. There's no room for error.”

Pressed for specifics, Wilkie replied: “Public safety, for me, is number one.”

Councilman Joe Hall, the lone vote against holding a public vote when the Council approved the referendum on Sept. 14, said he was totally unprepared for the outcome.

“I'm hurt by it,” Hall said. “But the majority has voted.”

Hall said he is convinced the legalized sale of alcohol will be a negative for Centre in the long-run.

“Five years from now, the city will not be in as good a financial shape as it is now,” Hall said. “We'll have to hire additional police officers, and purchase police cars and other related equipment.”

Hall said there was no meeting of the City Council in the weeks before the election to discuss how to proceed in the event of a yes vote on Nov. 2.

“I really didn't think it would pass,” he said. “I don't know how we will proceed from here. I don't think any of us has the slightest idea where to go from here.”

Asked how long he thought it might take to have an ordinance in place so legal sales can begin, Hall said he has no plans to let the process become rushed.

“I imagine it will take three or four months, at least,” he said.