A bill filed on Thursday (4-2-2009) in the House (HB 1081) would allow local heath departments to impose a cost-based annual health inspection fee of up to $500 on lodging establishments and restaurants. The local fee would be in addition to the annual $50 permit fee imposed by the State.
Local health departments now receive $33.20 of the State fee for each lodging and food service permit issued in their county and must be used to underwrite sanitation programs for the annual inspection of lodging establishments, and the quarterly inspection of food establishments. Additional funding is provided by county commissioners through the general fund including property taxes and local sales taxes.
HANC has consistently and successfully opposed previous efforts by county health departments to impose additional cost-based inspection fees on lodging estalishments, including food service outlets associated with lodging such as on-premise restaurants and meeting or banquet facilities. HANC has not rejected a reasonable increase in the State permit fee that would provide additional funding directly to sanitation programs at the local level.
