Jacksonville council approves cut of three liquor licenses to total 46

The Jacksonville City Council voted to amend the city code to reduce the total number of authorized alcoholic beverage licenses by three, bringing the cap to 46.

City Attorney Beard read the ordinance as a first reading describing an amendment to the Jacksonville Municipal Code, Alcoholic Beverages section, that would reduce the number of licenses by three. Alderman Scott moved the measure; a second was provided by Alderman Large Oldnettle. After a roll-call vote the motion carried.

The ordinance was described by City Attorney Beard as a change to the city code’s licensed total; no additional policy details or criteria for which specific licenses would be eliminated were provided during the discussion recorded in the meeting minutes, and no public comment on the item was recorded. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Hannon, Henry, Oldenetl, Reuben DeSellis, Scott, Speed, Watts and Williams.

Because the ordinance was introduced and then approved on the roll call recorded at the meeting, council records will reflect the change to the municipal code once the ordinance is codified and entered into the city’s official ordinance list. The transcript contains no further details about which license classifications or holders will be affected or about an effective date for the reduction.

Mayor Eszard announced the recorded result after the clerk completed the roll call.