Liquor Control Board returns cash to county

The next round is on the state.

Centre County municipalities are going to be receiving a semi-annual infusion of cash from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

On Monday, the PLCB announced payouts of more than $2 million to 1,123 cities, boroughs and townships across the commonwealth. In Centre County, $27,625 will be coming home.

The money represents a portion of fees paid to the state for liquor licenses.

“Twice a year, as required by law, the PLCB returns a portion of liquor license fees paid by PLCB-approved licensees to the municipalities that are home to those liquor licenses. Municipalities have flexibility in allocating and spending the returned license fees to meet local needs,” the PLCB release stated.

The agency regulates thousands of restaurant, club and hotel liquor licenses, whose holders pay fees ranging from $125 to $700, depending on the type of license and the municipal population.

In Centre County, six boroughs and 13 townships are getting a return.

State College is picking up the most. The municipality will get $9,900 for 31 licenses.

Patton Township will receive $4,200 for 14 licenses and College Township will get $3,400 for 13 licenses. Ferguson Township will get $3,000 and Bellefonte $2,000, each for 10 licenses.

Most get much less. The remaining municipality payments range from $25 to Miles Township for its one license belonging to the volunteer fire company to $1,000 for Spring Township, which has five licenses.

Miles is getting one of the smallest payments in the state. Despite lots of bars catering to college students, State College is nowhere near the largest. According to the PLCB, the highest payment to a municipality is $879,850 to the City of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Liquor Control Board returns cash to county."