Video: Two Cents Makes Sense For Winona Voters

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI) –  Winona voters put in their two cents worth, and now the city will be collecting a little extra tax money.

Seventy-two percent of those voters agreed that two cents makes sense for the town.

Two cents out of every dollar is how the new tourism tax will work, but you’ll only be paying those two extra cents on one thing.

Slogans planted around the town read, 2 cents For A Better Winona, and that’s exactly why the city has been pushing for the tourism tax.

“One of the biggest positives about this to me, is that according to the Department of Revenue in Jackson, that over 50% of this money generated, and I think that’s conservative, I think more is going to be generated from people outside of Winona,” says Mayor Jerry Flowers.

Flowers says the tax is a small amount considering the high volume of traffic on the interstate, and the revenue seen from people passing through.

“It’s strictly on prepared foods. If you go to Bridges Kwik Way, and you buy a coke and chips, it’s 7%, but if you buy hamburgers, fries, and a fountain drink, 9%.”

The money from the tax will go towards funding things like parks and recreations, paving streets, and beautifying downtown.

“It’s going to be paid by people who do not live in Winona, but who are using our streets, who use our facilities. I mean it’s one of the fairest taxes that I see,” says Flowers.

Executive Director of Winona Main Street/Montgomery County Chamber, Sue Stidham, says many things need to be done in the town to continue attracting visitors, and the almost $200,000 dollars expected to come from the tax will make those things happen.

“Ninety-seven percent of the tourism tax returns to us, and we only get,  from sales tax,  the city of Winona only gets around 18%, so that’s going to be a huge difference.”

Lifelong Winona resident and business owner, Shed Hunger IV, says he didn’t notice paying a tourism tax while living in Oxford for school, and thinks the tax won’t be a burden for Winona residents.

“Hopefully it will bring in a little more, as it is called a tourism tax, hopefully it will bring in a little more people to Winona, and bring money in to all the local businesses around here.”

Although only 13% of Winona voters took to the polls, the overwhelming majority of those who did vote approved the measure.

The tourism tax goes into effect September 1st.