County prepares to potentially raise food fees

Anyone serving up food in Travis County could soon have to pay a bit more for a permit. The Commissioners Court on Tuesday gave its first glance to proposed increases to the food establishment permitting structure. Restaurants that employ up to 15 people could pay $250 instead of $150, while food trucks that prepare food on-site could see their fees rise from $60 to $273. The court set a Sept. 27 public hearing for the proposed changes, which themselves could be tweaked to accommodate concerns expressed by commissioners Brigid Shea and Margaret Gómez about charitable operations. A final decision is expected Oct. 18, with the fees to take effect on Jan. 1, 2017. According to county staff, this is the county’s first comprehensive revision to food establishment permitting in more than 10 years.