Richmond cuts interest on municipal taxes, closes parks

Richmond’s Town Council announced on Tuesday that they are completely eliminating the interest rate on the municipal tax arrears and property taxes that have been due since March 16. The municipality also decided to close all of their parks. The town stated, in a press release, that in the context of the coronavirus, interest on municipal tax accounts and transfer duties are suspended until May 31st. It is important to note however that the April 15th tax account due date is still maintained.
If the town does not receive any notice, all post-dated cheques in their possession and pre-authorized payments will be processed on the date originally scheduled. For those citizens who signed up for the equal payments method, the amount agreed upon will be withdrawn.
“In the difficult situation we are going through, it is imperative for elected municipal officials to make this decision, which alleviates the financial responsibility of residential and commercial property owners,” stated Mayor Bertrand Ménard.
The Town Council also agreed to close of all of its parks and they are planning to maintain the closure of Town Hall until May 4th. An evening tribute to volunteers that was planned for April 23rd will also be postponed.
“Volunteering is very important in the current circumstances and we encourage everyone to offer their time for the most disadvantaged among us,” said Ménard.
The council continues to monitor the coronavirus situation closely and they will re-evaluate their measures according to the government and Quebec Public Health guidelines if necessary.