WINONA – The proposed city budget includes a millage increase to offset the revenue loss caused when Walmart shut its doors last January.
In Tuesday night’s meeting of the Winona Mayor and Board of Aldermen, a public hearing was held to get citizen feedback on the proposed 2.3 mill increase in the fiscal year 2018-2019 city budget.
“For a $90,000 home, taxes will increase $20,” Mayor Jerry Flowers said. “This is to make up for the $120,000 a year loss in sales tax from Walmart. We are not proposing any employee raises and no purchases of new equipment. There is a 35 percent increase in utilities this year.”
Rebecca Herring was the sole resident to address the board in Tuesday’s public hearing.
Herring asked how property owners with property outside the city limits but inside the former Winona Separate School District would fair with school taxes this year.
“Overall, the citizens of the [former Winona Separate School District] should see school taxes go down,” Flowers said.
Flowers reminded Herring that the city’s tax bill would not include school taxes anymore because Montgomery County would assess school taxes county-wide from now on.
Herring also asked about the city’s two percent tourism tax, particularly how much the city has collected this year and how that money has been spent.
Winona City Clerk June Williams explained that since the city began collecting the tax in November 2017, $146,562 has been collected through August 2018. So far, $85,000 has been used for tournaments fees at the park, $20,000 for construction at the Winona Recreational Park, $63,180 was used for city beautification (new street signs and landscaping), and $56,850 has been set aside to construct a new asphalt walking trail at the Winona Recreational Park.
“The balance [of the two percent] fund will carry over to the next year,” Williams said.
The board voted to adopt the consent agenda and the city’s tax resolution. The 2018-2019 budget will come up for a vote at the next meeting of the Winona Board of Alderman on September 18 at 5 p.m.
In other business:
• Calbrina Woods came before the Winona Board of Aldermen to ask for financial help in organizing a citywide trunk or treat at Halloween. Woods said local businesses, churches, and civic groups are working to make the event a reality. More information will be released closer to the event.
• Winona Fire Chief Brad Mooneyham informed the board that the bathrooms planned near the tennis courts at the Winona Recreational Park are now under construction.
• The board voted to appoint Lt. Gwain Jefcoat as a training officer at the department. Jefcoat completed the training course at the Mississippi Fire Academy and will join Ronnie Huffman in training firefighters with the department.
• Mooneyham also presented the board with a formal pay scale for Winona’s firefighters just as the Winona Police Department and the Winona Street Department have in place. The board took the matter under advisement.
• Winona Chief of Police Tommy Bibbs informed the board the he has written our federal representatives – Senator Roger Wicker, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Congressman Benny Thompson – to ask for support in Winona’s quest for a federal grant for equipment.
• Alderman Kelvin Winbush asked the board to table a decision on whether or not to install speed bumps on Greensboro Street until he can gather more information on the matter.
• Alderman David Ware informed the board for the need to refurbish the bathrooms at the Winona-Montgomery Public Library. The board tasked Ware and Alderman Mickey Austin to get bids on the project.
