Looking at liquor licenses

At the Saratoga Town Council’s first budget workshop for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson prefaced the budget discussion by asking for the governing body to consider reducing the cost of liquor licenses for Angus England American Legion Post 54.

According to Wilcoxson, who is a member of the American Legion, other such places in the state pay approximately $500 for their liquor license while, in Saratoga, a fee of $1,500 is paid. Wilcoxson added that, if the liquor license fee for the American Legion were lowered to $500 it would give the organization an additional $1,000 for student scholarships.

Under Saratoga Municipal Code 5.08.200, a limited retail liquor license for special clubs has an annual fee of $1,500. This is the same amount paid for a retail liquor license, resort liquor license and restaurant liquor license. 

The fee for retail liquor licenses is regulated by Title 12-4-201 and states that the license fee should not be less than $300 or more than $1,500. Resort liquor licenses, regulated by Title 12-4-405, state that the fee should not be less than $500 or more than $1,500, a restaurant liquor license, regulated by Title 12-4-411, cannot be less than $500 or more than $3,000 and a club liquor license, regulated by Title 12-4-301, cannot be less than $100 or more than $1,500.

The American Legion fits the definition of a club, according to Wyoming State Statute. Under Title 12-1-101(a)(iii)(A) it provides one of the definitions for a club as “a post, charter, camp or other local unit composed only of veterans and its duly organized auxiliary, chartered by the Congress of the United States for patriotic, fraternal or benevolent purposes and, as the owner, lessee or occupant, operates an establishment for these purposes within the state.”

Wilcoxson informed the rest of the council that the reason the American Legion paid the same amount in fees as the other bars in town was due to pushback when the veterans’ club began serving alcohol. As part of Wilcoxson’s plea for the governing body to consider lowering the fee for the American Legion was that the post was a non-profit organization unlike the other establishments in town.

“I know it comes out of our budget but it would sure seem, to me, that we could scratch that out of there. I would hope you would consider dropping that license fee down to $500,” said Wilcoxson.

The rest of the budget workshop continued without another mention of the liquor license fees.