Councillor Phil Turnbull brought forward a motion in July for the city to consider a second COVID-19 relief package. That was supported at Monday's Council Meeting ( Tiffany Goodwein/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

City utility customers to get rebate as part of COVID-19 support package

Aug 4, 2021 | 12:22 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Residents feeling the pinch of the downturn brought on by the pandemic will receive a little bit of relief.

Council approved a second COVID-19 relief fund valued at $4.5 million. The money will be used as part of a rebate to help residents pay their utility bills.

“We chose utility bills because not everyone has a tax account, but just about everybody has a utility bill, and why I say that is if you live in a condo, you pay your rent, your landlord pays your taxes on your behalf but you have to pay your electricity. So a lot of people have utility bills,” Mayor Ted Clugston said.

The rebate will be applied to residential and commercial buildings.

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Clugston said the goal is to get the rebate out quickly to all utility account holders. But those residents who did not struggle during COVID-19 are encouraged to donate the amount to the community warmth fund, which helps low-income individuals who are unable to pay their utility bills due to financial hardship or crisis.

The first COVID-19 assistance program was approved in May 2020. That program brought $8.2 million in relief, which went to support a property tax credit, the Medicine Hat Business Innovation Grant, and economic development initiatives. Funds also went to support the city’s vulnerable.