MADISON — Main Street has had a great friend in Governor Tony Evers and we wish him well in his announcement today to retire at the end of his term.
When Main Street Alliance expanded to Wisconsin in August 2020, small business owners across the state were navigating the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time of deep uncertainty and fear for entrepreneurs from Ashland to Racine, as they wondered what the future would hold.
Gov. Tony Evers was there to support those businesses. On a per capita basis, more was spent to provide grant support and stabilization dollars than in any state in the country. 118,500 small businesses were supported with $1.6 billion in support, including the forward-looking Main Street Bounce Back program that provided $10,000 grants to business owners taking over vacant storefronts. Diverse chambers got an infusion of support to reach more new business owners in their early days. And when Main Street Alliance advocated for live event venues that were falling through the cracks, Gov. Evers listened, and the $33.25m live event venue grant was launched, saving businesses across the state.
Without his efforts many more small businesses would have closed, jobs would have been lost, and small towns would have been decimated.
Wisconsin must continue to move towards an economic development model that prioritizes mom-and-pop shops, not boondoggles like Foxconn. In the weeks and months to come, Main Street Alliance and our members look forward to hearing from the next generation of leaders on their vision for the economic future of our great state. There is a legacy to build on, now let’s get started
