Bill to end Wicomico Co. liquor dispensary monopoly gains momentum

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – Wicomico County is one of only two in Maryland where the local government controls where eateries and bars can purchase liquor from.

Local leaders are pushing for House Bill 1340, which would do away with Wicomico County’s liquor dispensary monopoly. “I think at the state level, they’re wondering why we still have the dispensary system at all,” Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano said of the legislation.

In addition to Wicomico County, Montgomery County also follows a liquor dispensary system. Business leaders call the practice antiquated, and say it finds its roots at the end of the Prohibition Era.

“[Businesses and restaurants] cannot buy from a wholesale distributor. That’s against the law,” said Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Bill Chambers. “[They] can’t bring in spirits from outside of the county. That’s against the law. [They] must and only buy spirits through the dispensary.”

Chambers says those rules are only throwing roadblocks in the way of certain businesses getting a boost in Wicomico County.

“This is competition to the private sector. To have a monopoly on spirits would be no different than making everyone in Wicomico County buy their paper towels from one location, which is quasi-governmental,” Chambers said. “[Business and restaurant owners] wanted to be treated like a customer, and distributors will will reach out to each individual bar and restaurant, and deal directly with the ownership of that establishment.”

If the bill does pass, the county liquor dispensary would stick around; but it wouldn’t be the only option for businesses to buy from. They would newly be able to choose to buy from distributors, directly. In turn, the local economy will see the benefits, says Chambers.

“We had one restaurant owner tell me he’ll save $100,000 a year in his ability to buy from distributors. And, with that money, he’ll invest it back in hiring new people, and making improvements to his restaurant,” Chambers said. “If dispensary systems were all they’re cracked up to be, every county in Maryland would have one. They don’t for a reason.”

It’s a change that local businesses have been asking to change for decades. However, it’s one that can only be made with the approval of the Maryland General Assembly. Chambers remains optimistic for the bill’s chances this session.

Giordano, meanwhile, foresees doing away with the liquor dispensary monopoly as a step in the right direction for local businesses. “It’s the first of, I would hope, multiple steps to try to figure out what is the best way to go forward in Wicomico County,” she said.

The bill had a hearing on February 19th, and sits in the Economic Matters Committee before its second reading.