Some changes are in store for the New York City letter grade health inspection system, the city announced this week. The proposed changes include:
- Reducing fines issued to enterprises by 15%.
- Eliminating fines for those enterprises who appeal their letter grade rating and receive an A grade.
- Establishing an oversight office within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to hear complaints about the system or inspections.
The letter grade system has been criticized by many since its inception three years ago. Enterprise owners in the city have alleged that the city’s system is arbitrary and unnecessarily harsh. City Councilmembers have expressed concern that the system is harming small businesses in the city and is no longer focused on food safety. “’Food safety is no longer the focus,” said City Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-44th.) “The focus, really, is about making a quick buck.’” Fines collected from restaurants have jumped from $30 million annually to $50 million annually since the letter grade system began.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she hoped the reforms would strike a balance “’between protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers and easing the unfair burden on all of the restaurants out there.’”
While the Bloomberg administration stands by the effectiveness of the program, citing a decrease in salmonella cases across the city, it indicated that it was open to reforms amidst complaints from enterprise owners.
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