Business Journal: City Considers New Alcohol Fee


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(Sacramento, CA)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The city of Sacramento wants to hire more police officers for alcohol-related nuisance problems by charging a fee on all shops and restaurants that sell alcohol. Some restaurants are crying foul, though. They say the problems come from liquor stores, not dining establishments. The proposed fee would be part of a routine zoning code update. Right now, there’s no dollar figure, but early talk has suggested anywhere from $300 to $1,500 per year. The money would be used to fund an alcohol task force and a nuisance abatement program. A city fee would be in addition to a state fee imposed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control, which collects money to do many of the same functions but over a larger region. The new code goes before the Planning Commission this month. If passed, the fee would be determined by the City Council as early as April.