The fee hasn’t been set yet, but tobacco retailers in Multnomah County, Ore. will have to open up their wallets in the near future if they wish to continue doing business in the state’s most populous county, as county commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance on Thursday that will also prohibit the operation of mobile cigar and cigarette trucks. While the new requirement will go into effect in 30 days, there is still a period of rule making that the county must go through, as well as a final fee to be decided upon by the county’s board of health and approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The current proposal calls for a fee between $350 and $600. The new ordinance requires that every retail location selling tobacco products or nicotine delivery devices must have its own individual license which is renewed on an annual basis, with monies collected going towards covering the cost of administering the program and enforcing the laws, which are billed as being similar to the county’s restaurant inspection program. Multnomah County has a population of just over 776,000 residents and includes the city of Portland and several of its surrounding communities.
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