Chamber Insider Blog

This letter was sent on August 3rd, 2020

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
1 Harrison St, SE 5^th Floor Leesburg, VA 20175

Members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors,

The Loudoun County business community continues to be threatened by the slowing recovery and the continued challenges of delivering for their customers, virtually and in person, through our Phased reopening. Your leadership, along with the Department of Economic Development’s execution of the Business Interruption Fund, provided a much-needed lifeline for so many businesses.

Unfortunately, we’re now approaching three months since the allocation of those funds and our businesses of all types and nonprofits continue to suffer and are burning through their cash reserves. Now that we look towards the fall and winter, our employees and businesses face even greater challenge, both external and internal.

Due to the very real health threat of COVID-19, the customers that sustain our business community have yet to return in a way that is viable long-term.  Without improvements to the health crisis, businesses will continue to struggle to keep their employees on payroll.  Those employees that are fortunate enough to remain employed during this time, now face the impossible task of providing full-time childcare to school-aged children who cannot be left alone, while also attending a job where working virtually is not an option.

To address these acute issues facing our workforce, business owners, and nonprofit professionals we ask that you consider reinvesting in the Business Interruption Fund by:

• Contributing $10 million in the additional allocated CARES Act funds.This would bring our total investment to roughly $16.8 million and into proportional alignment with Fairfax County’s investment to a similar fund supporting their business community.
• Expanding the eligibility of funding to 1-100 employees and up to $5 Million in revenue.
• Including nonprofits and rural businesses along with their previous grant application requirements.

In addition to investment in the Business Interruption Fund, we ask that the Board would consider expanding and increasing the affordability of full-time and part-time childcare programs, such as the Parks and Recreation CASA program.  These programs provide children with well-trained staff that support the educational growth of our children.  Establishing requirements that these programs directly support members of our workforce where remote work is not possible and for those where childcare may not be affordable will ensure that the County’s investment will benefit those in our community that need it most.

Thank you for your consideration of these investments to support our workforce and their families.

Sincerely,

Grafton deButts
Vice President of Membership & Government Affairs
Loudoun Chamber