Municipalities in Pennsylvania are receiving a $2.2 million boost for their law enforcement and alcohol education activities. The funds come from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board which regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in the state, and are from licensing fees which the board collects.
“The PLCB returns millions of dollars in licensing fees to municipalities twice a year as part of our commitment to educate and protect consumers and their families from the dangers associated with alcohol,” said PLCB Chairman Patrick J. “PJ” Stapleton. “At a time when budgets are getting tighter, we know this funding is important to the communities that receive it.”
Since the board was introduced in 1933, the Pennsylvania Liquor Code has required licensees to renew their license annually. The money is then distributed to the municipality of the given licensee to help support law enforcement in that area.
Of the nearly $1.5 billion in revenue collected by the board in 2009-10, $481.5 million went to the state’s General Fund. Much of this revenue comes from the more than 600 Wine & Spirits Stores which the board operates statewide in addition to the fees it collects.