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Council agrees to state contract for mobile-food inspections, flags high state fees
Summary
Faced with a July 1 state law change, the council approved an interlocal to perform inspections for the Texas Department of State Health Services but warned the state's higher fee schedule will be passed through to vendors; staff will clarify public communications.
The City Council voted June 24 to enter an interlocal agreement with the Texas Department of State Health Services to perform state-directed mobile food vendor inspections after the Legislature moved permitting authority to the state. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.
Staff explained that House Bill 2844 shifts licensing and inspection of mobile food vendors to the state. Under the interlocal, Corpus Christi will conduct on-the-ground inspections and submit results into the state system, and the state will issue the vendor permits. The contract pays local jurisdictions a per-inspection reimbursement (staff noted $250 for a Type 1, $350 for Type 2 and $400 for Type 3 inspections) but the state-set application fees available to vendors are substantially higher than existing local fees, a point councilmembers and vendors called out.
Councilwoman Paxson and others pressed staff to make it clear to vendors that the city will not double-charge local fees: the vendor pays the state, and the city will receive reimbursements for inspection services. Staff said the city must stop issuing local mobile-vendor permits on July 1 for mobile vendors; restaurants and brick-and-mortar regulation remain a separate matter.
The council approved the interlocal but members asked staff to post clear public guidance and to follow up with the city's state delegation about the high fee schedule.
