Dear Editor:

I am a single woman who is a small business owner in downtown Globe. I was not essential and therefore had not been able to operate during the closures of the pandemic. I did not qualify for any grants. I did receive a small loan from the SBA which I will have to pay back. I still am not able to operate at full capacity due to the guidelines set forth by the city and social distancing. I am behind on my rent and several other bills. At this rate, I will be forced to shut down in the next few months if things don’t improve or if I can not get assistance.

I watched the City Council meeting Nov. 10, 2020 to better understand what the city was going to do with the CARES Act funding. I was pleased to see that the council decided to bless small businesses with more than $15,000 for the entire community of small businesses, and are looking to increase that amount to approximately 10 percent of the funding received. No matter the amount, it would definitely help my business and many others who are struggling as I am.

I believe the allocations should be done from an outside source like Local First to keep things in perspective and keep bias afar. I believe that my business is a perfect candidate to receive funds. I have a current business license, I am a live business and pay taxes to Globe and was a non-essential. I hope that the distribution of funds happens soon so no more small businesses, or myself, will have to shut their doors like others have.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Stacy Waddell

Owner