PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - Recognizing the financial strain that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have on many local businesses, the Long Beach City Council last week voted unanimously to offer additional time for business owners to pay some City business license tax and fees and provide an additional grant opportunity to eligible businesses that have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic.

The City has extended the waiver of penalties related to the payment of any license taxes as well as health, fire and business licensing fees issued from March 16, 2020, to March 31, 2021. Any bills issued during this period should still be paid in a timely manner if at all possible, but no penalty will accrue until after March 31, 2021. Additionally, the City will offer a Business License Fee Grant to offset the cash flow drain of business license fees for qualified full-service independent restaurants that have been closed or materially restricted in operation and demonstrate major financial hardship as a result of the City’s Health Order.

This policy follows the direction from the City Council, which requested that the City Manager provide options for relief to restaurants and other businesses impacted by the pandemic. The City had previously extended the deferral of fees through Nov. 30, 2020.

The City continues to introduce new programs to support businesses impacted most by the pandemic. On Nov. 18, the City launched its new BizCare Program to support small businesses affected by the pandemic. The City also will partner with community-based organizations to help with additional business outreach and education for impacted businesses. To learn more about BizCare or the business fee deferrals grant program, and for more information about business assistance and resources, people may visit the City’s Business Support webpage or contact the City’s Business Hotline at 562.570.4BIZ (4249).  

In July, the Long Beach City Council approved a spending plan for the City’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, which allocates funding for business recovery and resiliency efforts and small business grants. 

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep its residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visithttp://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news:Facebook,Twitter,Instagram andYouTube.

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