New York City Restaurant Grade Overhaul; City Council Pushes to Scrap Safety Rating System, Citing Burden on Owners

New York City's restaurants will soon have a new inspection system.

The New York City Council is currently looking to scrap the town's safety and cleanliness grading system, which Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said aims to scale back undue financial burdens put on restaurant owners.

Fines for a lack of proper materials and overall sanitation procedures have been sky-high in the past, and many restaurant owners have complained that the expensive penalties place stress on their business.

If the transgression is bad enough, most owners must also close down their restaurants temporarily, pending the health department's investigation. Others are forced to shut their doors until they can right the issue that gained them the violation in the first place.

Although the city will keep the letter grading system put in place by ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mark-Viverito said on Friday that the new changes will put more consistency on the fines that are given during inspections, AP reported. In the past, fines differed based on the judge who heard the eatery owner's appeal.

Local officials project a 25 percent drop in overall revenues gained by these fines once the changes take place.

The shift comes just a few months after Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is reportedly close with the Council Speaker, promised he'd switch up restaurant rating practices during his campaign.

According to the Associated Press, de Blasio's health commissioner was in attendance for Friday's conference with reporters.

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