Keep the lights on: Waterford Mayor calls on council to defer rates payments for small local businesses

The Mayor of Waterford City and County has called on the local authority to defer commercial rates payments to ease the burden on hard-pressed small local businesses who have been hit hard by the coronavirus emergency measures.

Cllr John Pratt said he has spoken to Waterford City and County Council CEO Michael Walsh about deferring rates for the month of March,  and “to continue to support small businesses for as long as the current COVID-19 crisis continues”.

Mayor Pratt (pictured below) added: “Unprecedented challenges call for unprecedented responses, and the impact on small businesses could be dire. Many may not reopen. We must do all that we can to prevent the worst from happening so that businesses are able to recover and grow again when the current crisis has passed, as pass it will.

“Council management are awaiting national guidance from central government to determine what relief can be
provided by local authorities to hard pressed small businesses that need our support now more than ever.”