The City of Swift Current is, in a rare instance, willing to let bygones be bygones on some accounts.

The City is waving off a total of $68,961.47 in unclaimed utility deposits, and utility and general accounts receivable. This money is from the course of 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic.

Circumstances from the global shutdown during the COVID-19 scare saw the City establish alternative means to collect payment on accounts from customers, including a temporary postponement of cutoff and late payment charges.

Vicky Sutherland, manager of human resources for the City of Swift Current noted that the effects of this course of action are not yet finished.

"From a collections standpoint, we continue to observe the effects of the economic pressures resulting from the pandemic," said Sutherland. "Which are likely to continue in the years to come."

In a few instances, the City will write off the balance owing on collectibles once all collection attempts have been exhausted. This request to write off delinquent accounts is the same. These accounts are annually brought forward for approval, after years of trying to reach out and collect.

"In addition, over the course of 2021, some utility deposit refunds were returned due to incorrect forwarding addresses," noted Sutherland.

Those unclaimed funds will also be written off against the delinquent accounts receivable.

The amount being written off for the outstanding accounts in 2021 is slightly higher, as 2020 saw $63,000, 2019 saw $58,000, and 2018 saw $63,000.