Tuesday night, I listened to concerns some Winona citizens voiced to the Winona Mayor and Board of Aldermen during the regularly scheduled meeting. People made comments about job creation, industrial prospects, city code ordinances, and the local economy. There were ideas offered as solutions to problems, some that would pass overwhelmingly in Winona and some that will likely never get off the ground.
Bessie Baker, who also spoke to the board about broadening the city’s future support of the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration each year, asked the board the best question of the night, “How is Walmart’s closing going to affect the city’s revenue?”
Mayor Jerry Flowers explained that at this time, city leaders do not know. The bigger question is how many of those Walmart shoppers will continue to do their shopping locally or will they traveling to out-of-town Walmart stores to do their shopping?
If Winonians decide to continue to patronize local businesses, sales tax revenue will just shift from one store to another, however, if citizens decide to go to another county to patronize a Walmart Super Center, the city will have a significant drop in revenue.
Personally, I do about 90 percent of my buying in Montgomery and Carroll counties. You can get almost everything right here – without using up a ton of gas money.
Besides, I enjoy smaller retailers to big box stores, and local customer service will blow away all competition from other communities. How many big city businesses will deliver or offer free gift wrap or personalized treatment? As a native of metropolitan Memphis, I can say less than one percent.
And local businesses are willing to work with you. If you want a local store to stock a certain product or brand, just ask, and I am willing to bet local businesses will grant most requests.
Those of you living in Montgomery and Carroll counties, I urge you to give your local businesses a shot. Not only will you be investing in your very own community, but you will be supporting your friends and neighbors.
