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Excise commissioner requests new vehicles and flags fee schedule and staffing needs for liquor licensing
Summary
Excise Commissioner Miles McDonald told the Budget Committee his office’s FY26 budget is roughly $731,565, described seven full‑time staff, and requested replacement vehicles and an upgrade to staff classifications to improve competitiveness in licensing enforcement and inspections.
Miles McDonald, St. Louis excise commissioner, briefed the Budget Committee on May 7 about the excise office budget, vehicle needs and liquor‑licensing operations.
McDonald said the excise office’s approved budget for the year is about $731,565 and that seven full‑time employees staff the office. The excise office collects permit revenue that goes to general revenue; McDonald said his division’s projected excise permit revenue for FY26 is about $193,700, down from $208,638 in FY25. The office handles catering, picnic and late‑hours permits and processes liquor licenses administratively and through hearing processes.
The commissioner asked the committee to restore funding for two replacement cars (older 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles in current use) after a request to the director of public safety to repurpose vehicles left the office short of reliable fleet units. McDonald told aldermen the vehicles are used for local inspections and for staff travel to licensed establishments; Alderman Browning pressed for the department to replace near‑20‑year‑old cars for safety and operational reasons.
McDonald also raised a personnel classification question: excise staff requested reclassification to a higher pay grade (comparable to "neighborhood improvement specialist" levels) that would raise starting pay for licensing staff from roughly $43,845 to a mid‑$40,000 range. The commissioner said officers assist license applicants at the counter and make field inspections but currently do not carry firearms or make arrests under the new city ordinance language; he said that historically the office had no consistent firearms policy and that the current licensing ordinance does not enable armed enforcement staff.
Why it matters: liquor licensing and excise enforcement are revenue and public‑safety tools for nightlife, restaurants and special events. Aldermen said they wanted to balance timely licensing with consumer safety and neighborhood input.
Next steps: McDonald will continue to pursue vehicle replacement funding through fleet capital processes and to discuss job classification and pay with the personnel and budget offices. Committee members suggested follow‑up conversations about licensing procedures and online processing to reduce administrative friction for applicants.
Ending: The excise commissioner asked the committee for technical adjustments to his FY26 operating budget and pledged to work with department and budget staff on vehicle procurement and classification changes.
