Mesa special-event liquor licenses may be handled by city manager, not the council

Delegating authority to the city manager to recommend approval or denial of special-event liquor license applications to the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control will be considered by the Mesa City Council at a meeting Oct. 7.

The council meets at 5:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, in the council chambers, 57 E. First St.

Not approving the ordinance will keep the existing process of council approval for the applications, according to a memo to the council from Business Services Director Edward Quedens and Revenue Collections and Licensing Administrator Fugate.

“Forty-two special event liquor license applications were processed in fiscal year 2024. These license applications often come through on very tight timelines. Council asked staff to investigate delegating these specific application recommendations to the city manager,” they said in the memo. “Liquor license applications start at the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control. They are then sent to the city for a recommendation for approval or denial. Staff currently presents an agenda item to the city council for this recommendation back to the DLLC.”

The city council is slated to introduce the ordinance at a 5:45 p.m. Sept. 23 meeting in the council chambers, 57 E. First St.