By Mark Antonation, Westword | [Editor’s note: Let’s add “insult to injury”… | As if the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t made things tough enough for restaurants, bars and other venues that sell alcoholic beverages, those businesses could soon be paying more to the government just to continue operating. The Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division recently sent a letter to liquor license holders letting them know that a fee hike is in the works. Here it is:
Dear Liquor Stakeholders,
On July 1, 2020, The Liquor Enforcement Division will be raising application fees and certain other fees that we are allowed to adjust. This has been decided after careful consideration by the Department management and in conjunction with our budgeting office. The LED has been experiencing a drastic reduction in the amount of fees collected due to the pandemic, and this fee adjustment is necessary in order to maintain operations and our current levels of productivity and responsiveness. We do not take these actions lightly, and we appreciate your understanding as we work together in the months to come.
All affected DOR forms will be updated on our website on July 1, 2020.
Please let us know if you have any questions. We value all of our stakeholders and your understanding during these unprecedented times. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to the LED with questions or concerns.
Best Regards,
The Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division
According to the Liquor Enforcement Division, the increases are still in the proposal stage and need to be approved by the state licensing agency, so it can’t yet release information on how much those fees are going up.
The reaction to the letter has been mixed, like a bad cocktail. . . .
Read the rest of the story here:
https://www.westword.com/restaurants/colorado-sends-notice-of-liquor-license-fee-hikes-11735708
Mark Antonation is the Westword Food & Drink Editor. He got his start by eating at and writing about every restaurant on Federal Boulevard and continues to cover metro Denver’s diverse international food scene, as well as the city’s quickly changing restaurant landscape. Mark was awarded Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association in 2018.