PSATS Calls on Governor, LCB to Restore Local Funding

PSATS is calling on Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pa. Liquor Control Board (PLCB) to restore funding to municipalities that host establishments that hold liquor licenses in the commonwealth. 

In a recent news release, the PLCB reported record sales for 2020-2021 at a time when host municipalities will not receive expected host payments this month. At the governor’s direction, the LCB waived standard licensing fees for 2021 for retail licenses most impacted by the pandemic. 

“While we understand and support the need for relief for these business owners, the waiver of these fees impacted host municipalities and eliminated about $4 million in host municipality payments,” PSATS Executive Director David M. Sanko says. “We are respectfully asking the governor to champion an effort to replace these waived payments for impacted municipalities and direct the LCB to restore local funding. 

“Surely within the LCB’s $2.91 billion record windfall is $4 million that could be used to replace these waived fees.” 

As a result of the waivers, host municipalities received only a partial payment in March 2021 and will not receive any payments in September. Local-share payments will return with a partial payment in March 2022 and should resume at normal levels by September 2022. 

“While some of these host payments may be very small, municipalities count on every penny to provide critical services to their residents,” Sanko says. “If the LCB had record sales, there is no excuse for the commonwealth to continue withholding payments to municipalities that deserve their fair share of this money as hosts to these licensees.”