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Dalton holds first reading of ordinance to limit number of liquor licenses based on population
Summary
Council heard a first reading June 30, 2025 of an ordinance amending Chapter 6 to cap package liquor licenses at one per 2,500 residents (rounded to 14 licenses) and to allocate newly opened license slots by lottery; the approach ties the cap to population so allocations change with census updates.
The Dalton Mayor and Council on June 30, 2025 held a first reading of an amendment to Chapter 6 of the City Code that would cap package-store licenses based on population and correct a drafting error in the code.
Todd, a staff member presenting the ordinance, explained the proposed approach sets the number of licensed package stores at one per 2,500 residents; using the city’s current population this formula would round to 14 total licenses. When a license slot becomes available the ordinance would award the subsequent package-store license via a lottery system established by the code.
Todd said staff evaluated other municipalities’ approaches — distance-based limits and population-based limits — and found tying the cap to population provided a method that automatically adjusts if the population changes. He also said the ordinance language would correct a scrivener’s error in the existing code.
Councilmembers asked whether the cap would change when census numbers change; Todd confirmed the population-based cap would move with the city’s population. This was a first reading; council members were told the item will be eligible for final consideration at the July 21, 2025 meeting.
