The Honorable
Ralph Northam
Governor
Commonwealth of
Virginia
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA
23218
RE: Virginia Unemployment Tax Rate
Dear Governor
Northam,
As you are
aware, the current pandemic has had an unequal effect on business sectors. Some
businesses have continued operating successfully while others were forced to
lay off the majority of their workforce and are barely operating.
The Virginia
Unemployment Trust Fund has been depleted and while it is currently paying
benefits with Federal loans, the Trust Fund will need to be replenished. This
issue is a pressing concern to those industries most affected by the pandemic
including restaurants and the hospitality sector.
Governor Hogan and
the state of Maryland took measures to protect small businesses that had to
furlough or lay off employees due to the pandemic from "substantial or
sudden increases" in their unemployment taxes. We encourage you to exclude
2020 from calculating an employer's 2021 tax rate and bring some relief to
these businesses still trying to recover while still providing adequate
resources for the Trust Fund.
Helping all
businesses to recover from the pandemic, especially those most adversely
affected, will bring our economy back to providing needed jobs and services. Thank
you for your attention to our concerns and we look forward to hearing from you
regarding this issue.
Sincerely,
Stanley Koussis
Chairman
CONTACT GOVERNOR NORTHAM HERE
