Overview:
The Athol Select Board is considering increasing liquor and car dealership license fees, some of which have remained unchanged for 60 years. Town officials noted that Athol currently charges some of the lowest rates compared to 11 neighboring communities. While board members acknowledged potential economic strain on local businesses, the board plans to vote on the proposed increases during its scheduled Aug. 18 meeting.
ATHOL – The Select Board is considering increasing the cost of liquor and car dealership licenses, which have remained the same for many years.
At its meeting on July 21, the board was given information indicating that, with the exception of Royalston, Athol’s fees for the seven different types of liquor licenses available are among the lowest compared to those charged by 11 nearby communities with similar populations.
The cost of auto dealership licenses in Athol also tend to be among the lowest in comparison to nearby cities or towns.
Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said he, his finance team and Executive Assistant Bridge Armentrout had researched the liquor license fees. Mount Wachusett Community College student Brandon Ouellett, an intern with the state Department of Revenue, also gathered information for the town.
“We want to make it clear that they (license fees) have not changed in 60 years,” Suhoski said. “So, we had an intern do a study in comparison to other towns, looking at population, adding in Royalston, Winchendon and Orange to make sure they were in there as well.
“We don’t want to charge the highest fees; I’m sure the board doesn’t want to charge the highest fees, but we need to be keeping current,” he added. “If there’s no value to a liquor license then we should have a zero license fee. But there is a value and we are way behind the market on that.”
Suhoski urged the board to make a decision soon on whether to increase the license fees “because the renewal notices will go out in a couple of months for 2027. That way everybody would be advised if you were to make a change.”
The fees are not a one-time expense for new licenses, and are charged each year when a license is renewed.
Athol charges $750 for an all-alcohol pouring license for restaurants and bars, while the average for the other 11 communities is $1,125. For an all-alcohol package store, Athol charges $750 and other communities average $1,158. A beer and wine license for grocery and convenience stores in Athol costs $300, while the area average is $657.
Athol’s fees for beer and wine pouring licenses, all-alcohol licenses for clubs, farmer-winery pouring licenses, and one-day permits also tend to be lower than all or most of the other communities looked at.
The town’s finance team is recommending that, as of Jan. 1, the town charge $1,000 for an all-alcohol pouring license, $1,000 for an all-alcohol package store license, and $500 for a beer and wine license. The fee for a beer and wine pouring license would go from $300 to $500, as would a farmer-winery license. An all-alcohol license for social clubs would remain at $750, and one-day permits would go from $25 to $50.
For automobile dealerships, the cost of a Class I, Class II, and Class III license in Athol are all set at $100. The average in other communities included in the survey is $148. The finance team recommended setting the cost of all three licenses at $150.
Board Vice Chair Marc Maxwell suggested the board should consider keeping the one-day permit at $25.
“Because it’s usually for groups and clubs and churches,” he said. “Like for the sportsman’s club, if they’re doing a retirement party or something, I don’t want to charge them too much money….the rest of (the recommendations) I’m fine with.”
“I may misread what the town sentiments will be, but I expect a lot of people will feel that it’s a difficult time for families and businesses and may hurt to raise them (license fees) at this time,” said board member Mitch Grosky. “But at the same time, I think we have a valid case that says we should raise them.”
The Select Board will revisit the issue at its meeting on Aug. 18, with the intention of voting on the recommended increase.