The City Council late Tuesday reluctantly added to the Nov. 6 General Election ballot a referendum that would ban booze in restaurants.

Residents angry with the council's 3-2 decision in February to let restaurants serve alcohol collected enough petition signatures to force the referendum, the second now on November's ballot.

Petition sponsors were not at Tuesday's meeting, but previously have said they fear allowing restaurants to sell booze would eventually lead to bars and taverns in this northern Davis County community.

Tuesday's discussion was not whether there will be a vote, but when.

Mayor Fred Panucci argued for a June 26 special election, saying Syracuse could easily lose upscale restaurants to neighboring cities.

"We are on the bubble. Everything is happening now. We've already had some major players, restaurants, back out and say they are unsure the direction Syracuse City is moving," Panucci said.

Syracuse has more than doubled in population since 2000, to 21,000 by the city's estimate, but its restaurants are of the fast-food variety.

Developers of large commercial projects now underway contend they cannot recruit national chains to a city that won't allow selling beer or wine with a meal.

But the mayor could rouse no support for rushing the election.

For one thing, the petition signed by residents specifically asked that the referendum go on the Nov. 6 ballot.

For another, state law suggests giving voters plenty of time - 120 days - between the time a petition is certified and the election. Whether that is a mandate is not clear.

County Clerk Steve Rawlings certified the petition on Monday, and suggested the council stick to the Nov. 6 date for the election.

Also on the Nov. 6 ballot will be a referendum on an ordinance the council passed last October to change the mayor's title and responsibilities.

Petition sponsors for that referendum had to take the council to court to put a freeze on the ordinance pending the public vote.

"Syracuse seems to be in this round of ending up in the middle of vague state laws. We're right back in the middle of another one," said Councilman Dannie Hammon.

kmoulton@sltrib.com