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Berkeley County health director seeks mandatory food‑handler cards; commission stalls pending formal rulemaking
Summary
The county health director proposed two‑year food‑handler cards and related fees to reduce foodborne illness; commissioners raised concerns about costs to small businesses and procedural steps. The Board of Health has approved the proposal but the commission took no immediate action and asked staff to pursue the rulemaking and return with a formal 30‑day public comment package.
Cara Harding, director of the Berkeley County–Morgan County Health Board, asked the Berkeley County Commission to approve a requirement for food‑handler cards after her board approved a proposal Jan. 26. Harding said the card would be a short (about 45‑minute) online course designed to ensure every person handling food in an establishment has basic training and cited research suggesting improved inspection results and fewer outbreaks.
Harding described the proposed fees and options included in the packet: a county two‑year card (with processing and administrative splits) and a one‑year statewide card. Harding summarized the proposed structure as county documentation that shows $20.99 would go to the health department and another $10 would go to State Food Safety for the online testing; she also described a $30.99 statewide one‑year option. She said the department chose a lower fee to keep the card affordable and noted discounts are available for employers who pay for multiple employee cards.
Commissioners pressed Harding on implementation and cost. One commissioner said, “This seems as a quite onerous on small businesses,” noting high turnover in fast‑food and seasonal employers and asking whether Parks and Recreation or other organizations that hire many temporary workers would face burdens. Harding said large corporate operators typically already have certificates that would transfer, and she argued the card gives workers ownership and basic skills in sanitation and hand‑washing.
Members also asked about the procedural steps required under state law. Commissioners noted that new local fees and rules typically require a published 30‑day public comment period and recommended converting the proposal into formal local rule language for public posting. Harding confirmed the Board of Health approved the proposal but acknowledged staff had not yet advanced it through the county rulemaking steps.
Harding said enforcement would follow standard practice: a write‑up and reinspection process with reinspection fees (she cited a typical reinspection fee of $125) rather than immediate closure for missing a card. Commissioners asked for estimates of the total cost to the county’s food workforce; Harding said she had not run exact totals but estimated action would affect thousands of workers across roughly 1,000 food establishments in the county.
Rather than adopt the rule at the meeting, the commission declined to take action and directed staff and Harding to work with county counsel to prepare formal rule language, publish it for the required comment period, and return to the commission. The commission did not vote to implement the card at this meeting.
