North Iowa Reporter

In the past month alone, over 3,000 residents in Cerro Gordo County, northern Iowa have filed unemployment claims due to the mass layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The county in Iowa has 42,000 residents and with 3,000 of them being unemployed in the last month alone means that several families are facing tough decisions on which bills should be paid and which bills will be put to the wayside including utility bills and mortgage payments.

The local governments across the regions have made it clear that they are willing to work with those that have been affected by the global coronavirus pandemic. In Gardner, what that means is that the government is not going to be cutting anyone's water off during this unprecedented time. 

"Right now our council feels that it is a human right to have access to water to ensure all residents are able to clean themselves during this pandemic," City Administrator Adam Kofoed said, according to The Globe Gazette. Kofoed had mentioned that there have already been 12 different families that have been protected from getting their water shut off and discussions of late fees being waived have come up. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on several million households nationwide, Garner isn't the only county that is protecting its people. Charles City and Forest City have joined in on keeping utilities active but each county has made it clear that anyone behind on bills when the pandemic is over will be required to come current in order to keep active services.

"Once the COVID-19 crisis is over any accounts past due will need to be brought current to maintain service," Charles City Administrator Steven Diers said of current local government procedure there, echoing City Administrator Barbara Smith's summation of Forest City policy, reported by The Globe Gazette. 

According to Smith, once the emergency declaration is lifted, citizens that have not paid their utility bills will have "a certain amount of time to either pay their bill in full or set up a payment arrangement."