A. The majority of the members elected to the governing body may enact an ordinance imposing on any retailer an excise tax on the price paid by the retailer for alcoholic beverages purchased by the retailer upon which the tax imposed by this section has not been paid. The tax may be imposed at a rate not to exceed six percent, provided that any lower rate shall be an even multiple of one percent. The tax imposed under this section may be referred to as the "local liquor excise tax". Any tax imposed under this section shall be for a period of not more than three years from the effective date of the ordinance imposing the tax.

B. The governing body at the time of enacting an ordinance imposing the tax authorized in Subsection A of this section shall dedicate the revenue to fund educational programs and prevention and treatment, including social detoxification, of alcoholism and drug abuse within the county and for no other purpose. After approval of the imposition of a local liquor excise tax by the voters but before the effective date of the ordinance, the governing body shall hold a public meeting for the purpose of inviting comment on and suggestions for the most appropriate programs on which to expend the revenue produced by the tax. The governing body shall invite representatives from the appropriate Indian tribes, nations and pueblos to the meeting. If the governing body awards any contract using funds derived from the local liquor excise tax, it shall do so only through a selection process requiring submission of sealed bids or proposals after public notice of the opportunity to submit the sealed bids or proposals.

C. The governing body enacting an ordinance imposing the local liquor excise tax shall submit the question of imposing the tax to the qualified voters of the county at a regular or special election.

D. Only those voters who are registered within the county shall be permitted to vote. The election shall be called, conducted and canvassed in substantially the same manner as provided by law for general elections.

E. If at an election called pursuant to this section the majority of the voters voting on the question vote in the affirmative on the question, then the ordinance imposing the local liquor excise tax shall be approved. If at such an election the majority of the voters voting on the question fail to approve the question, then the ordinance shall be disapproved and the question required to be submitted by Subsection B of this section shall not be submitted to the voters for a period of at least one year from the date of the election.

F. Any ordinance enacted under the provisions of this section that imposes a local liquor excise tax or changes the rate of tax imposed shall include an effective date that is the first day of any month that begins no earlier than ninety days after the date of the election. A certified copy of any ordinance imposing a local liquor excise tax shall be mailed or personally delivered to the department within five days after the ordinance is certified to have been approved by the voters.

G. Any ordinance repealing the imposition of a tax under the provisions of this section shall contain an effective date that is the first day of any month beginning no earlier than sixty days from the date the ordinance repealing the tax is adopted by the governing body. A certified copy of any ordinance repealing a local liquor excise tax shall be mailed or personally delivered to the department within five days of the date the ordinance is adopted.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 326, § 3; 2013, ch. 218, § 1.

The 2013 amendment, effective July 1, 2013, increased the local liquor excise tax rate; permitted local liquor excise tax proceeds to be used for social detoxification; in Subsection A, in the second sentence, after "not to exceed", deleted "five" and added "six"; and in Subsection B, in the first sentence, after "prevention and treatment", added "including social detoxification".