Edwin Aronson, presenting for the Anne Arundel County Liquor Board, told the council on May 15 that state legislation passed this year requires the board to expand from three to five part‑time members beginning in July and that the board will request an estimated $35,000 in supplemental funding to cover salaries and incidentals for the two new commissioners.

Aronson described the board’s current structure — five full‑time staff, an attorney, and 19 part‑time inspectors — and said the board oversees roughly 595 licensed establishments in the county. He said revenue from licensees typically exceeds expenditures and that surplus licensing revenue is returned to the General Fund.

The presentation described two staffing adjustments: a planned increase in hours for a Deputy Chief Inspector to support IT tools and inspection forms used on tablets, and the supplemental funding request to add the two part‑time commissioners (state‑set compensation: chairman $18,000, commissioners $15,000 each). Aronson said the board has not raised licensing fees in 16 years.

Aronson also described a proposed partnership with the Annapolis Substance Abuse Program to create a county‑approved alcohol awareness program tailored to Anne Arundel County. The program would modernize training that Aronson described as “several decades old” and would be offered free to licensees and their employees; he said typical private course costs are about $75 per person.

Councilmembers asked about salary amounts and whether the state set those amounts; Aronson confirmed the General Assembly set the fixed compensation levels. The presentation was informational; no council vote was taken.