Yarmouth chamber requests relief for taxpayers

Organization asking local municipal units to take measures to help people, businesses

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce is asking Yarmouth County’s municipal units for relief measures for all taxpayers — individuals and businesses — to help them through the crisis.

“With the current pandemic situation unfolding, we believe urgent action is needed in order to help address the immediate financial concerns that businesses and individuals are experiencing,” said Rick Allwright, executive director of the Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has been hearing from local businesses about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting them.

“A lot of layoffs are happening, business is way down,” Allwright said. “A lot of them are not sure how they’re going to make it through this.”

The chamber is suggesting four areas the municipalities could potentially look at to help ease cashflow shortages over the next two months while provincial and federal relief measures come online:

• Suspend all interest charges and collections on property taxes until at least June 1.

• Suspend all interest charges and collection on water and sewer charges until at least June 1.

• Relax parking restrictions within the Town of Yarmouth

to encourage shopping downtown as we come out of this crisis.

• Pay all outstanding bills as soon as possible to local vendors.

“These initiatives are meant to help alleviate the immediate cash requirements of taxpayers and to keep this money available in our community for the time being,” Allwright said. “These revenues will not be waived completely, just delayed until we are clear of this situation.”

The chamber believes this initiative will set the pace for other municipalities in the province.

Meanwhile, under normal circumstances, the Yarmouth chamber would have been getting ready for its annual general meeting. Initially scheduled for March 25, the AGM has been pushed back a couple of months.

“We’ve postponed that until at least May 20 and we’re very much of the mind that may change again,” Allwright said.