A message from Mayor Chris Spearman to the Business Community

As Mayor of Lethbridge, I wanted to reach out on behalf of all my City Council colleagues to the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and its business members to provide some positivity during this tough time in the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
We want Lethbridge to re-open for business. But it has to be done safely and prudently.
 
We are aware many of you have had significant impacts to your businesses. Thank you for doing your part in your actions in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19. We know many of you have had to either close or alter your business model entirely. We understand the hardships and stress this has put on everyone.
 
This week, City Council approved a property tax penalty deferral in order to help our residents and businesses impacted by the financial effects of COVID-19. Property tax bills are coming at a time when some businesses are just beginning to re-open and residents may be returning to work. By extending penalty dates, we believe this will give businesses and individuals more time to get back on their feet and make payments toward their bill without being penalized. There will be a significant financial impact on City finances, so we also hope that businesses and residents who have not been monetarily affected will pay their taxes by June 30, as usual.
                                         
Last week, the provincial government announced their staged COVID-19 recovery plan. We know that announcement was welcome news for residents and for employees and business owners who have been impacted by COVID-19. We are consistently communicating with our provincial government on how we can continue to be vigilant in following the public health orders and as we look to re-open.
We are awaiting further industry-specific direction, including new protocols for staff and customers.
 
The Province has established a Biz Connect Branch through the Provincial Operations Centre. If business operators are unsure of where their services fit in relation to the recovery stages, they are able to email: bizconnect@gov.ab.ca for clarity; additionally, this address can be used for businesses/agencies to submit plans to open, or host events for Provincial review. General information and frequently asked questions can also be found here: https://www.alberta.ca/essential-services.aspx.
 
If you have further questions or suggestions to help formulate re-launch plans specific to your industry, please email mayor@lethbridge.ca.
 
We will need the continued support of our community as move forward through the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all in this together, Lethbridge. And we know we will come out of this stronger than ever.