Spalding County implementing $30 fee for badge and background check of alcohol servers

GRIFFIN — The Spalding County Board of Commissioners approved the establishment of a $30 fee for I.D. badges and background checks for alcohol servers at their June 16 meeting. Commissioners James Dutton and Gwen Flowers-Taylor were not present, but had already made their opinions on the issue known.

Recent changes to the county’s alcohol regulations now require I.D. badges for employees of private businesses which sell and serve alcohol to citizens (bars, restaurants, etc.) The new requirement goes into effect July 1, 2025.

Community Development director David Allen explained the process to the commissioners.

“Servers will come to the Community Development office and apply for an I.D. and submit to a background check,” said Allen. If approved, they will be given an alcohol service badge from the county’s badge machine.”

Allen noted that a fee needs to be set to offset the cost of the badge and the background check. The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office charges $15 for a background check.

Allen said he checked with other governments in the area to see what they charge:

• City of Fayetteville charges $35 — $25 for the badge and $10 for the background check.

• Fayette County charges $30, including background check.

• City of Jonesbor charges $25, including background check.

Allen recommended that Spalding County charge $35 — $20 for the badge and the $15 background check charged by the Sheriff’s Office.

But commission chair and District 5 commissioner Clay Davis noted that he had talked previously with Dutton and Flowers-Taylor, and that both of them felt a $30 fee — $15 for the badge and $15 for the background check — was fair.

The other commissioners agreed, and a motion was made and approved by a 3-0 vote to implement the $30 fee.