Payson Roundup
U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema says she has Payson small businesses’ back.
For weeks, she says she has been on the phone with mayors across Arizona to offer the weight of her office to help facilitate the Small Business Administration loan process.
For businesses, the enforced pandemic shutdown has wreaked havoc with their bottom line.
The federal government passed two stimulus bills to keep businesses viable — the paycheck protection program and a loan to pay business expenses.
Yet the demand has been so great, programs continue to run out of funds. The town has found many local businesses have applied for the stimulus loans but seen little relief.
“Through our outreach with the business community we learned that many of our local businesses that have applied for these SBA programs have not received any funds or any word on their application status,” said Trever Fleetham, management associate for the Town of Payson.
Fleetham explained to receive help, go to either the onepayson.com website or go to tinyurl.com/AZSBAHelp and plug in your information.
“(Sinema’s) office will reach out to the SBA on behalf of the business,” said Fleetham. “We understand that these funds run out quick and it is unfortunate to hear that our local businesses are not being successful in their applications. Hopefully Senator Sinema’s office is able to help out, but with these large federal programs it is difficult to gain any certainty.”
Fleetham encourages local businesses to continue checking in at the onepayson.com website “for additional updates,” and to “stay diligent in their efforts,” by “keeping the line of communication open with their banks on the status of the SBA applications.”
Kevin Peck, with the Small Business Development Center, told Fleetham that because many of the larger/traditional lenders are inundated with requests, it may be difficult for businesses to navigate their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications.
Peck suggested using an alternative online lender for businesses experiencing this issue.
For more information, visit https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/articles/PPP_Lenders_Arizona_-_24_April_2020a.pdf.
Or call the town at 928-474-5242.