State Budget Surplus Could Benefit Winona, Greater Minnesota

(KWNO)-The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is calling on the state legislature to increase payments to local governments by at least $90 million.

The calls for more funding came off the heels of the state announcing a $7.7 billion forecasted budget surplus earlier this year. Winona City Council President and At-Large Representative Michelle Alexander says the surplus could benefit Winona and other cities in greater Minnesota.

“They can actually help communities like us by allocating those funds for important projects like sewer repair or street repair or bridge repair or put grant programs together,” Alexander told KWNO. “I’m hoping that’s what we are going to see happen with that surplus.”

Alexander said cities in greater Minnesota have tax bases hindered by lower median incomes and lands taken up by parklands and large non-profit centers. The lower tax bases make it more difficult for rural Minnesota cities to afford improvement projects.

The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities shows Winona received just over $10.2 million in local government aid in 2021.