Fredericksburg Awards $200K In Coronavirus Grants To Businesses

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The City of Fredericksburg is providing $200,000 of emergency grant funding to a total of 83 small businesses in the city as part of its coronavirus business relief grant program, the city said Wednesday. The businesses are expected to begin receiving the emergency grant money in the next week.

Two weeks ago, Fredericksburg's Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced that it was accepting grant applications from small businesses that are struggling due to the coronavirus crisis. The city received applications from about 225 businesses, Bill Freehling, director of Fredericksburg's Economic Development and Tourism office, said Wednesday in a video statement.

The EDA supplied $146,000 for the program and the Fredericksburg City Council approved an additional $54,000 to help small businesses weather the storm.

The city's EDA "saw the need from our small business community who have been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting business restrictions," Freehling said.

An EDA task force looked at the applications and used criteria such as how long the entity had been in business, how much the business had been impacted by the coronavirus crisis, and how effectively the business could use the funding.

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"I commend the EDA and the City Council on doing what they could to help these small businesses ... which are really the lifeblood of our community," said Freehling, who added that the city will continue to look for other ways to help the city's small business community.

The Fredericksburg government has a website that lists all of the businesses that are open for takeout, delivery and e-commerce. The city also has created a webpage that points businesses to resources available at the federal, state and local level that could help them survive the crisis.

The Rappahannock Area Health District, which includes the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties, is reporting 209 positive cases of the coronavirus and five deaths. Among the positive tests, 108 cases have been reported in Stafford, 60 in Spotsylvania, 17 in King George, 15 in the City of Fredericksburg and nine in Caroline County.

Meanwhile, the Fredericksburg City Council voted last week to extend the personal property tax deadline from May 15 to July 15. The deadline for real estate bills was not extended and are due to the Treasurer’s Office no later than close of business on May 15.

Residents can pay their real estate bills in several ways: online at www.Fredericksburgva.gov; drop box at Fredericksburg City Hall at 715 Princess Anne Street; or by U.S. Mail at P.O. Box 967, Fredericksburg, VA 22404. Although the city hall is not open to the public, residents can contact the Treasurer’s Office at 540-372-1001.

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