Is the COVID-19 virus affecting your employment and impacting your ability to pay your bills?

The City of Lathrop has you covered in the meantime.

This week the city announced that they would not turn off delinquent utilities through the months of March and April and will reevaluate accounts after the major shutdown period that experts hope will contain the virus has passed.

Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal shared the news on his Facebook page, encouraging residents that are struggling to take advantage of the program but reminding people that it doesn’t mean that residents that are able don’t have to pay their bills – the monthly totals for water and sewer usage will still accumulate, and residents will still be responsible for paying when financial situations improve.

The city will not charge delinquency fees or shutoff charges during the time period over the course of the next five weeks.

The City of Lathrop already had policies in place that will make the transition easier for residents that need to take advantage of the program. Every December the City Council votes to suspend disconnections and late fees so that residents who are experiencing the financial crunch of the holidays. Those customers still have to pay back any accrued charges, but every year the city elects to suspend disconnections so that people can enjoy the holidays without having to worry about losing their water or sewer connections.

The move in Lathrop is part of a wider national effort to soften the disastrous economic impacts of the COVID-19 virus. This week some major banks were considering adopting rules that will allow to suspend their mortgage payments without penalty if they’re affected by job losses or other economic uncertainties.

Anybody looking for additional information about the City of Lathrop’s program is encouraged to visit the city’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us or call 209.941.7320.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.