Businesses that get permits from the Washoe County Health District are facing a big increase in fees. That includes businesses that need basically any kind of inspection – from restaurants and hotels to public pools and RV parks.
The health district is *proposing the increase in fees, but it does still have to be approved by the district board of health. Health officials say the increase is simply to recoup the costs of issuing the permits and doing inspections in the first place.
“Basically, in the past, the fee was never set appropriately to fully recover the costs. We were receiving a portion of the costs,” says Kevin Dick of Washoe County Health Officer.
The health district says the additional costs to provide those services have in the past been covered by the general fund. But a review they got recently made a recommendation that they rethink that policy and raise their fees.
For tattoo shops like Battle Born Tattoo, the fee would go from $114 to $309 a year.
Other businesses would see increases of 70% to 80% or even as high as 400%.
“I know they’ve stepped up a lot of the regulations, and they’re trying to re-do a lot of stuff in the tattoo industry, just to make it better, which is fine. As long as they’re putting forth the manpower that it’s going to take, then I don’t see a big problem in the increase,” says Archie Wood, owner, Battle Born Tattoo.
But for new businesses like the Taster’s Paradise food truck that extra few hundred dollars is a big hit.
“Now all of a sudden, as I’m doing better, the fees are going up on me, and not just a little bit, but hundreds of dollars, and I think that’s a little much to raise it up so much,” says Sandra Knoll, owner of Taster’s Paradise Mobile Café.
The proposal goes to the board of health in November – and is up for a vote at their meeting in December.
Washoe County Health District Business Fees Could Increase
