East Dubuque To Generate More Revenue With New Fees

East Dubuque city officials plan to take advantage of two recent revenue-generating opportunities. City Council members have decided to raise fees for both cannabis establishments and video gaming terminals with the intent of reinvesting the income into city beautification and safety projects. The council unanimously voted for a $25,000 annual license fee. Only one dispensary, The Dispensary East Dubuque, operates in the city. In December, the council reduced the minimum distance between licensed dispensaries from 15,000 feet to 5,000 feet, paving the way for up to two additional establishments to open within city limits. As for video gaming, city leaders will take advantage of a recent change to state law that enables officials in some cities to impose an annual fee of $250 per video gaming terminal. The fee previously was capped at $25 per year. The East Dubuque city council unanimously approved increasing the fee to $250 annually.