St. Louis County Commissioner Keith Nelson said Tuesday he plans to introduce a resolution at next Tuesday’s board meeting that would reduce for several years liquor license fees, to help them transition to when the new statewide smoking ban law goes into effect on Oct. 1.

“I’m looking at this as a business retention tool,’’ Nelson told other County Board commissioners Tuesday during their Committee of the Whole portion, as a way to help small businesses.

The typical small- to mid-sized business brings in property taxes to the county worth what 10 homestead properties might generate. “This is a valuable industry to us,’’ Nelson explained. “They pay a lot of property taxes.’’

The county collects about $84,000 annually from on-sale liquor licenses. Nelson is proposing that the fees be adjusted by an amount not to exceed 50 percent per license for two years, starting next year, and to add a third year to reduced fees if the total number of licenses declines by more than 10 percent in the first two years, or 5 percent annually.

While fees vary according to different criteria, a typical on-sale liquor license issued by the county can cost $1,000 each.

Labels: Minnesota, smoking