The Clark County Council, acting as the county board of health, met July 22 to consider the 2027 environmental public health fee schedule. The proposed fees cover essential services including onsite septic permitting, well application reviews, food establishment permits, school health and safety reviews, and pool and spa inspections. According to reporting by The Columbian, councilors expressed concern that the proposed increases could negatively impact local business owners.

Under a county directive, Clark County is prohibited from using its general fund to pay for these specific public health activities. Consequently, the costs of these services are passed directly to residents and businesses through fees. Jeff Harbison, administrative services director for Public Health, presented the council with two primary options for the upcoming year.

The first option would set fees to cover the full cost of services while capping any individual increase at 5 percent. Under this plan, the Public Health fund balance would be used to bridge the gap between the actual cost of services and the revenue generated by the capped fees. The second option would maintain all fees at their 2026 rates, with the exception of programs where fees are already scheduled to decrease. These decreases are expected in food safety, drinking water protection, and onsite septic operation and maintenance programs.

The council has not yet finalized a decision between the two presented options. The outcome will determine the direct costs for property owners and businesses requiring health and safety permits throughout Clark County in 2027.