BASTROP, Texas — The Bastrop Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is making cash relief grants available to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The goal for the grants is to help businesses survive the impacts of the coronavirus crisis and will be made available pending final approval of the BEDC and its board of directors.
"Hopefully this means businesses in Bastrop will be able to pay their bills within 30 days before they’re delinquent," said Cameron Cox, Bastrop EDC's CEO. "Give them that emergency infusion of cash with very little overhead or strings attached in a quick and efficient manner so they can try and survive during these times."
The grants will be provided only to businesses within the city limits of Bastrop that provide their 2019 tax receipt, Texas Comptroller of Public Account's sales tax receipt for the month of Feb. 2020 and their Texas Workforce Commission’s Unemployment Tax Services Employer’s Quarterly Report filed in January 2020 for the reporting period of October to December 2019.
Businesses will then be emailed a set of vendor request and payment forms, along with a performance agreement to be filled out.
Then the BEDC board will meet to discuss, vote and approve the grant distributions on April 13, which is also the day businesses will find out how much money is in the grants.
Not all businesses qualify for the grant. According to the BEDC, those businesses are:
- Grocery stores, big box stores, farmer’s and food markets
- Liquor, wine and beer stores
- Construction and real estate development and sales
- New or used automotive sales
- Banks, lending and financial institutions
- Gas stations and convenience stores
- Nonprofit entities, organizations or associations
- Medical and health providers and related service companies and vendors
- Auto mechanics and auto repair shops
- Plumbers, HVAC technicians and electricians
"I’ve heard from some business owners, 70 to 90 decrease in sales in the last two weeks," said Cox. "The businesses downtown are hurting really bad and the quicker we can get this pandemic past us and we can get back to life as normal the better for everyone, both small businesses and everyone alike of course."
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