Nonprofits will pay for food permits

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The Yakima Health District will no longer exempt nonprofit food booths from food-service fees, which means organizations at community fairs, sports events, church bazaars and the like will have to pay $54 for a temporary permit.

The Health District board adopted the new policy Wednesday, citing a tight budget. The cost covers the district's expense for inspecting the food-service preparation for safety and cleanliness. The policy will take effect Jan. 1.

Longtime board member Barbara Harrer, the mayor of Harrah, voted to impose the fee but predicted it would cause an outcry from small groups that struggle to raise a few hundred dollars from a one-day potato feed.

"All heck is going to break loose," Harrer said. "In small communities, it's going to limit the number of food-service booths."

Yakima County Commissioner Mike Leita, a Health District board member, said the exemptions amounted to an unjustified subsidy.

"It's cost-shifting when government gives exemptions. It becomes somebody else's tax burden," Leita said.

Spring, summer and fall calendars in the Yakima Valley are full of craft bazaars, community days, festivals, pancake breakfasts and other celebrations that parent and civic groups use to raise money for everything from scholarships to sports-team uniforms.

The fee will result in about $10,000 annually paid to the health district.

Jerry Kobes, who heads fundraising and public relations for Selah Community Days, said nonprofits like the local Lions club will be hard-pressed to take $54 out of their revenue.

"They just don't make that much money, and for some people it's probably their main fundraiser," he said.

Staci Fordahl, who organizes Tieton Community Days, called the move "disappointing," but said that town's celebration features only two food booths, so they can probably make enough to offset the fee.

"It's probably going to hurt more where there's a lot of competition between the booths," she said.

The Health District granted the exemptions based on a list of community celebrations submitted by cities, towns and county government. Nonprofit food booths at the Central Washington State Fair -- which makes considerably more money -- already pay the food-safety fee.

The move comes at a time when the Health District and other local governments are feeling the double squeeze of a sluggish economy and cutbacks in state funding.

The board adopted a $5.5 million 2010 budget, down about 11 percent from last year's $6.2 million budget. Staff has been reduced by about 10 percent through attrition. The state is also cutting funding for a $150,000 program that assigns a public health nurse to review the medical records of foster children.

"The budget will be tighter next year," said Roy Vierck, finance director.