DIXON – The City Council approved raising liquor license fees Monday after giving businesses a reprieve from payments earlier during the pandemic.

Fees will be increasing 7% to 12% with the goal of offsetting the general inflation increase of 6.7%. Restaurant, bar and hotel licenses will increase from $1,940 to $2,175 and from $2,190 to $2,480 if they serve on Sundays.

Liquor store, grocery store and drug store licenses will go from $1,760 to $1,975 and from $1,860 to $2,085 for licenses including Sundays.

About 5 or 6 years ago, the council made a consensus to gradually raise liquor fees to catch up with what surrounding communities were charging.

“It was a need that we had for a long time, that our fees were way out of line when they should have been higher,” Council member Dennis Considine said.

Arellano said there are also other cities that charge upfront liquor fees, which the city has strayed away from because new business owners often have many start-up costs.