As an effort to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact on Londoners, council has taken steps to provide some relief.
During a meeting on Tuesday, London Council unanimously approved three measures in an effort to relieve some financial burden on residents; all interest and penalties will be waived for 60 days for unpaid Interim 2020 Property Tax Installments and unpaid water and wastewater billings. All Community Improvement Plan loan repayments will be deferred on an interest-free basis for 60 days as well.
“City council and staff have acted quickly to take this first important step in providing Londoners with immediate economic relief,” said Acting Mayor Jesse Helmer in a news release. “These initial measures will help ease some of the financial burden our residents and our business community is facing during this unprecedented and challenging time. Londoners should expect all levels of government to continue to work together to meet these challenges.”
The new measures do not apply to payments already set up through pre-authorized payments, post-dated cheques to be cashed on March 31, 2020, property tax accounts being paid by a financial institution from the property owner’s mortgage payments, supplementary taxes due on March 31, 2020 and April 30, 2020 for the years 2019 and 2018, or to any arrears that arose prior to the March 31 interim installment due date.
The move by council comes one day after the Ontario government announced all non-essential businesses in Ontario will be ordered to close for 14 days starting at the end of the day on Tuesday.
There are currently 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in London-Middlesex.