Town of Christiansburg announces utility debt relief program

Town of Christiansburg announces utility debt relief program 4The amended budget for the Commonwealth of Virginia, signed by Gov. Northam on Nov. 18, 2020, allocated $100 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds toward relief for utility customers whose accounts are in arrears (CARES Utility Relief Funds).

The Town of Christiansburg has been allocated a portion of the CARES Utility Relief Funds to apply to water and wastewater accounts that have been past due for more than 30 days.

The Town has identified customers who qualify for this funding and will be sending them individual notices in the mail. If you do not receive a letter but believe that you qualify, please contact the Finance Office or download the form from our website, complete the form and turn in by the due date. We will review all submissions for qualification for the program.

For CARES Utility Relief Funds to be applied to a customer’s account, the customer must complete, sign, and submit an application by 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 to be considered. Submission of an application does not guarantee any or all of a customer’s account arrearages will be offset by CARES Utility Relief Funds. CARES Utility Relief Funds do not and cannot cover stormwater fees, solid waste charges or any other fees. The funding can only be applied to unpaid water and wastewater bills with due dates of April 1 through Nov. 1. Funding is designed to be a one-time opportunity, with only one payment per household (for residential) or per account holder and their successors (for non-residential).

The state’s timeframe to administer the CARES Utility Relief Funds is exceptionally short, which is why the submission deadline is so soon. The application will be sent directly to qualifying customers and can also be found on our website at www.christiansburg.org/utilityrelief. To complete the application via the link, please download the application, fill it out on your computer and then print it, or download the application, print it out and complete it by hand. Completed and signed applications must be submitted to Christiansburg Town Hall – 100 E. Main Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 – by 8 a.m. on Jan. 4, 2021. Applications can be mailed, dropped off to the Town’s Finance Office or submitted via the Town’s drop box outside of Town Hall.

The goal of this program is to assist utility customers experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to applying for this funding, please be aware that the Town of Christiansburg offers payment plans. To set up a payment plan with the Town or for any questions regarding utility billing or CARES Utility Relief Funds, please call the Finance Office at (540) 382-9519 weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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