WINONA, Minn. – The Winona County Board voted 4-0 to place a sales tax increase on a 2024 ballot to pay for the new county jail. If voters approve, the sales tax would go from 7.38% but 7.63%. The increase would be a quarter-cent on every dollar of sales tax The new revenue would raise $1.5 million a year to would cover debt payments on the new $28 million jail. There is sentiment on the Board to offset a new sales tax later by reducing property taxes a concomitant amount. An attraction for local voters is that the sales tax draws to some extent on spending from visiting tourists. The Winona Chamber of Commerce has supported the sales tax increase.
Sales tax profile
The 2023 sales tax rate for Winona County is 7.38%. Most of this is a state tax: 6.88%. The county sales tax rate is 0.50%. Counties cannot raise their share without approval from the state Legislature and then only if there also local voters approve. The 2023 Legislature approved the referendum. The referendum now will be on the November 4 general election ballot in 2024.