City to consider alcohol beverage changes

The Duluth City Council will consider several recommendations by the Alcohol Review Board at its next meeting Aug. 8. The first would relax the alcoholic beverage license fingerprint requirement. Establishment owners now must go to the Duluth Police Department for fingerprinting. Owners who live in other states find it difficult to travel to Duluth to be fingerprinted for the required background checks. The proposed amendment would allow the applicant to provide fingerprints as part of the application.

The second amendment would allow restaurant patrons to bring their own unopened bottle of wine. The restaurant will be required to charge a minimum corkage fee of $10 per bottle.

The third amendment would put the city in compliance with a new state law that requires notification within 45 days of disciplinary action against any person with an alcoholic beverage license and guidelines for patrons under age 21.

Homeowners will feel some tax relief

The Berkeley Lake City Council voted to reduce the city’s 2016 ad valorem property tax millage rate to 2.369 mills. The rate is lower than the 2015 millage rate of 2.47 mills and also lower than the rollback rate of 2.374 mills.

Each year the county tax digest can increase due to inflation, or due to new or improved properties. State law requires the city to calculate a rollback millage rate each year to offset any inflationary increases in the tax digest. If it does not, the city must notify the public that taxes are being increased.

Berkeley Lake’s new lower tax rate means, for a home with a fair market value of $400,000, the city property tax in 2015 was $395.20. For a home with the same fair market value, the 2016 city property tax will be $379.04, which is about a 4 percent reduction. Lang at 678-421-2035 or mlang@ norcrossga.net. Qualifying applications are available at the city clerk’s office or at www.norcrossga.net.