The License Appeal Commission is a standalone adjudicatory body for hearings relating to business liquor licenses. It is the city’s smallest department by headcount and budget, with a single staff assistant on payroll.

Departmental Highlights

Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2025 Budget

	2025 Budgeted	2026 Proposed	Net Change	Percent Change	Average Annual Rate of Change (2011-2025)	Inflation-adjusted Rate of Change (2011-2024)
Appropriations	$206,624	$209,988	$3,364	1.6%	0.8%	-1.3%
Positions & FTEs	1	1	0	0.0%	0.0%	NA

• Staffing levels have not changed. The commission continues to operate with a single staff assistant.
  
• Salaries and wages was the only appropriation to change, with a $3,364 increase accounting for the department’s entire year-over-year change. 

Historical Context

LAC’s budget has shrunk relative to inflation over time, increasing from 2011-2025 by an average rate of 0.8% annually, which after adjustment for inflation becomes a -1.3% growth rate. Over the same time period the city budget overall averaged 8.3% growth annually (inflation-adjusted 4.4%). 

Over the past three complete budget years for which local fund actuals/encumbrances data is available, LAC spent on average 78.6% of its locally funded budget, compared to the citywide average 86.4% local fund spend.

LAC has operated with a single budgeted employee since 2011, and had no vacancies during the months of 2025 for which vacancy data was available, February-September. 

There were no budgeted position changes this year. The commission continues to operate with a single staff assistant.

Appropriations

LAC is entirely locally funded, with all appropriations coming from the Corporate Fund. 

In 2024, the most recent complete budget year for which local fund actuals and encumbrances data is available, LAC spent 79.4% of its locally-funded budget, spending only slightly over half its outside contracting budget. 

Salaries and wages was the only appropriation to change in the 2026 proposal, with a $3,364 increase accounting for the department’s entire year-over-year change.