County to raise liquor application fee to $500; inspectors seek better coordination with sheriff on compliance checks

Caroline County staff told the board the county commissioners decided to raise the liquor-board application fee from $175 to $500 effective July 1 to better align administrative costs with staff time and advertising expenses. Staff said the higher fee mirrors fees charged for similar county permitting processes and is intended to cover increased staff time involved in reviewing applications and preparing legal notices.

Board staff reported surveying neighboring shore counties and found a mix of application fees; some counties charged comparable fees while others were higher. Staff cautioned that changes to annual license fees (the recurring license fees set in state code) would require legislative action at the General Assembly; the board discussed preparing research and potential proposals but acknowledged political and lobbying hurdles.

Separately, inspectors and staff discussed recent underage-compliance checks and coordinated enforcement. The sheriff’s office has received grant funding through the county health department to run compliance checks; board inspectors said coordination with the sheriff’s office limits duplication of inspections and makes better use of limited resources. Board staff and inspectors agreed to seek better communication so the county’s checks and board follow-up inspections do not occur back-to-back, which can cause confusion among license holders.

Ending: The county commissioners’ fee decision will take effect July 1; staff will research comparative license fees and the board and inspectors will pursue improved coordination with the sheriff’s office for future compliance checks.