Minnesota State Auditor Judy Blaha released the 2019 Municipal Liquor Store report, and Grand Marais once again had a good year.
The cities municipal 2019 liquor store off-sale operation was up 13.5 percent over 2018.
Sales totaled $2,295,000 with the cost of sales at $1,611,242.
The year ending gross profit was $683,757, and with $382,804 in operating costs pulled from that, the city was left with $308,679.
Each year the city takes $200,00 from liquor store profits to lower the levy to its citizens, leaving the city with $108,679 to start 2020.
In a comparison of city liquor store operations listed by economic development and region and city, Grand Marais came out on top in what was listed as 3-Arrowhead. Towns included were Aitkin, Barnum, Beaver Bay, Big Falls, Cook, Cromwell, Littlefork, Moose Lake, Northome, Orr, Palisade, Proctor, Ranier, Silver Bay, and Two Harbors.
Two Harbors sales were higher than Grand Marais, but Grand Marais had a much better return rate when costs to do business were figured in. And, with $200,000 dedicated to lowering the levy, this was $125,000 more than the next net transfer to their city budget, which was Aitkin, whose off-sale liquor transactions were about half of what Grand Marais was.
Due to interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations are that the Grand Marais Municipal Liquor Store 2020 sales won’t approach the 2019 sales.
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