The Morgan County Commission has officially decided against bringing back food handler cards, rejecting a proposal put forward by the joint Berkeley-Morgan County Health Department. The decision comes after officials weighed the potential safety benefits against the practical burdens placed on local business owners and their employees.
Commissioners cited concerns over added costs and the complexity of the implementation process as primary reasons for their denial. They argued that requiring workers to navigate a multi-step certification process would create unnecessary hurdles for food establishments and community organizations already struggling with operational overhead.
This ruling maintains a unique status for Morgan and Berkeley Counties, which currently stand as the only two jurisdictions in West Virginia without a mandatory food handler card requirement for those working in the industry. While most other counties mandate such certifications to ensure basic hygiene and safety standards, these two areas continue to operate under different guidelines.
The push to reinstate the policy began in August when Health Department Sanitarian Cara Harding presented the plan to the commission. Despite her recommendations aimed at tightening health protocols within food service environments, the county leadership ultimately felt that the administrative weight of the program outweighed its perceived advantages.
