ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s a permit fee nearly six times what it was before, making local food truck owners afraid of losing their businesses for good. However, now that fee increase is being delayed.
“It’s like closing a restaurant, you know,” said Skylar Wallace, owner of Las Chanclitas 3.
The City of Albuquerque is facing heat from local food trucks, saying their recent change in permit fee is outrageous.
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“Just recently, we found out that our environmental health permit is being increased from 150 dollars to 900 dollars,” said Wallace.
Wallace is fighting the fee change, and she’s not the only one.
“We’re all trying to figure out why we’re getting attacked as a small business community, and all we want to do is serve good food to our community,” said Michael Mondragon, owner and operator of Mighty Mike’s Meats Food Truck.
A food service and retail ordinance, passed back in May by Albuquerque City Council, went into effect at the beginning of August.