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Bastrop orders refunds after state law disallows duplicative local food/alcohol fees
Summary
After staff briefed council on Senate Bill 1008 (effective Sept. 1), which restricts municipal duplicative fees for food service and related alcohol permits, council voted to refund recently collected 2025–26 alcohol-permit payments and to stop collecting fees where they duplicate state or regional fees.
City staff alerted council that Senate Bill 1008, effective Sept. 1, prohibits municipalities from charging fees when the same license fee has already been paid to the state, county, or public health district for specified food-service operations. Michael, the staff presenter, said staff halted processing checks once they realized the statute change and asked for direction about fees already collected.
Council voted unanimously to refund the 2025–26 alcohol-permit payments that had been collected (the amount cited across testimony was modest, roughly $3,000–$5,000 total), and directed staff to stop processing new payments that would duplicate state or other authorized fees. Council member Plunkett recused himself from that agenda item because of his restaurant ownership and returned after the council vote.
