By Elise Devlin
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Wednesday that the county will waive this year’s fees for liquor license holders to ease financial burdens on bars and restaurants that lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our bars and restaurants add to the vibrancy of our communities, and it’s in everyone’s best interests to provide support so that they can weather this storm,” Olszewski said. “We will continue to look for ways to support our residents and key sectors of our economy as we recover from the pandemic and the recession it has caused.”
License holders normally must pay their annual license fee each year by May 1. The new waiver will apply to the following license holders:
- Class B – Restaurants with the annual license fee of $1,500. There are 356 restaurant licensees in the county.
- Class C – Non-Profit Clubs with the annual license fee of $1,00. There are 92 club licensees in the county.
- Class D – Taverns with the annual license fee of $1,500. There are 149 tavern licensees in the county.
To receive the waiver, each licensee must sign a fee waiver agreement including the terms of the waiver, and requiring the licensee to follow all Baltimore County rules and regulations that include COVID restrictions regarding masks and social distancing. Failure to obey rules and regulations will be considered grounds for revocation of the fee waiver, officials said.
Along with distributing more than $16 million in grants to restaurants in the county, Olszewski said that this is another way to support bars and restaurants impacted by the pandemic. Olszewski signed an Executive Order to cap fees charged to restaurants by food delivery apps, as well as allow restaurant and bar liquor license holders to temporarily be allowed to deliver alcoholic beverages to county residents.