Winona Area Chamber of Commerce President Christie Ransom
WINONA, Minn. (KWNO)-News of a city-wide mask mandate issued by Winona Mayor Scott Sherman was not welcomed by many members of the local business community.
That’s according to the President/CEO of the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Christie Ransom.
“After a year and half of being shut down and mandated time and time again [local business owners] have zero tolerance and zero appetite for one more mandate,” Ransom told KWNO after the mayor hosted a news conference about the mandate on Thursday.
During the news conference, Ransom told the mayor she had visited roughly 40 businesses, none of which she said had the appetite for another mask mandate. Ransom said the businesses are well-equipped to understand and make the decision on how to keep their customers safe.
“I believe that our businesses have proven that they can do that on their own and make those decisions without onerous powers overreaching them,” Ransom told the mayor.
“In that respect, I think that there are some businesses owners that they don’t want to make a stink about someone wearing a mask but they believe in the fact that they need to protect their staff and their customers,” Sherman responded. “In general they absolutely should have that ability to make those decisions on their own and they should do it. That’s the bottom line right now. We are in a bad spot.”
Ransom said she visited five businesses Thursday morning and said she was the only customer wearing a mask. Ransom is encouraging community members to be patient with local businesses and said the mandate isn’t their choice.
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