Council to draft ordinance increasing fees and registration requirements for skill-game machines

Sunbury City Council discussed proposed changes to the city's amusement-machine rules that would raise the annual fee for skill-game machines and require clearer owner identification.

A council member outlined a plan to raise the per-machine fee from $100 to $300 and set an annual payment window from Jan. 1 through March 31, with a late-payment penalty that would double the fee if not paid in that period. The council also discussed making the machine owner, rather than the storekeeper, responsible for the fee and requiring a visible paid sticker (for example, a 2026 sticker) so staff could quickly verify compliance.

Residents and business owners spoke during public comment. Victoria Rosencrantz urged clarity about inventory and identification to ensure accountability and said business owners had contacted her with concerns about the change. Andre Majesen said he understood nonpayment was an issue but warned the fee increase could prompt some machine owners to remove machines, which could affect small businesses that receive machine revenue.

Council members and staff said the draft ordinance would make ownership and payment status clearer and noted some municipalities require machine owners to register and display a paid sticker. Council asked staff (Joel) to draft ordinance language; the council expects to present first reading at the next meeting.

Why it matters: The change would increase annual costs for machine owners and create an enforcement mechanism to identify nonpaying machines. Councilors said they will monitor the ordinance's local economic impact and revisit the fee if adverse effects arise.