Chatham-Kent Council Monday night unanimously approved a recommendation from its financial services staff to waive all property tax late payment charges for current year tax arrears until August of this year.
Municipal officials say earlier this month it had been recommended that the waiver apply to small business and that the action be taken only when the business had made application to do so.
Council requested that the scope be expanded, Municipal officials say.
Although late payment charges are being waived, property taxes are not being forgiven and will still have to be paid.
In a deputation, Gail Hundt, President and CEO of the Chatham Kent Chamber of Commerce said the waiver is a “silver lining” and a “breath of relief” for that group’s 350 members.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the move is the latest step in ongoing support for the community at large and the business community in particular as it navigates the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had all hoped and expected that this pandemic would be in our rear view mirror by now,” Mayor Canniff said in a media release.
“As we continue to increase our vaccination rate, our community, province and nation become closer to finally ending restrictions and getting back to the kind of life we all enjoyed.”
While no application is required for the waiver, property owners who are currently enrolled in the installment Pre Authorized Payment (PAP) programs will be required to submit a cancellation form no later than end of business on April 26, 2021 to have their next payment cancelled, Municipal officials say.
Property owners enrolled in the monthly PAP program can submit a request up to the end of the business day on May 10, 2021.
The cancellation form can be found on the Municipality of Chatham-Kent website https://www.chatham-kent.ca.
Property owners who have previously submitted post-dated cheques for future tax payments can send a request in writing by email to CKAccountsReceivable@chathamkent.ca to have their post-dated cheque pulled from our vault and not be processed on May 3, 2021.
Cheques that are removed from processing will be shredded and not returned to property owners.
Requests should be submitted no later than end of business on April 27, 2021.
Property owners should be advised that the cancellation of payments now will become due August 3, 2021 and the deferral is only for interest and penalty, Municipal officials added.
Property owners suspending PAP should note that to re-enroll at a later date, tax accounts are required to be current and without outstanding arrears.
