SOUTHWICK – At Monday night’s meeting, the Select Board decided to make an increase in some of the prices to their license costs for businesses in town. Select Board Vice Chairman Joe Deedy then explained that the price increases were not for any of their larger licenses.
The largest increase in fees included three separate licenses being changed from $350 to $500; Common Victualer’s Wine and Malts, Annual Common Victualer’s Malt and Wine, and Farmer-Breweries, Farmer-Wineries, Farmer-Distilleries liquor license.
Southwick Town Hall. (WNG File Photo)
Yet, the most talked about increase at the meeting was the one-day liquor license pertaining to for-profit businesses in Southwick. For at least the last 20 years, a one-day liquor license would cost $6.25. At the meeting, Deedy suggested that the fee should go up to $25, but then Select Board Clerk Russ Fox made a suggestion of his own to bump the fee up to $50. The board then made a motion and voted in favor of having the fee now set at $50.
Fox discussed why he chose to increase the price of the license.
“Fees are supposed to cover costs so it’s not a burden to the taxpayers,” said Fox. “You have to balance that, you need business in the community.”
The board also felt that there was a need to increase the one-day liquor license since the process for that specific license can be a long process. A number of town officials spend numerous hours working on completing the setup of the one-day liquor license.
According to Deedy, the cost may seem extremely high because of the price jump, but most surrounding communities charge anywhere from $25 to $50. Deedy also said that the price change won’t be much of a burden since there are only a handful of events in Southwick every year that have one-day liquor licenses. The most notable ones in town are for the Rugged Maniac, Motocross Nationals, and an outdoor event that the Southwick Inn holds.
