[Winona] Heritage preservation

[Evert Salo]

  I am no longer actively involved in any civic discussion but I must comment on recent actions by the Commission and comments from the public. I strongly support actions
to preserve items and icons of lasting interest and applaud the efforts of the commission members and especially those of Mark Peterson from the Historical Society. There 
is, however, another side to this that I wish to comment on.

     The viability of any unit of government is dependent on the income generated in that unit. In this case we're talking City of Winona. Income generated by individuals, business
and industry create value and that is referred to as a tax base. A tax base, in turn, tells the City what the public can afford. An increase in valuation is a positive step because
we have more vaue and can use that to either provide additional services or to reduce our taxes. Therefore, it is in our best interest to use what we have to generate revenue.
 Unoccupied buildings and greenspace are debits in the accountants journals..They do not produce revenue but require maintenance and frequently deny opportunity..

Am I referring to the old buildings on third Street, the Julius Wilkie, The Lamberton . House or to none of them. It really doesn't matter..Any structures that have outlived their
usefulness are a liability and unless we can determine a viable option for future use we should look at alternatives. Some have suggested the City assume the costs of 
renovation or to purchase. This course of action would foreclose any possibility of producing income and would add immensely to the citie,s liabilities.

Many of us like old buildings and familiar surroundings but how many can we afford?

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