Ash borer cut down still costing La Crosse

Originally budgeted for about $2 million

The bills keep coming for La Crosse’s long fight against the emerald ash borer.

The city has, over the last three years, aimed to get ahead of the tree killer by cutting down all the ash trees on city property – nearly 5,000 of them.

It was a pay-as-you-go process with a total price tag that was originally estimated at around $2 million. 

Funding, however, hasn’t always kept up with the pace of the fight and the city’s parks department is now asking the city council to reimburse nearly $250,000 that wasn’t budgeted for cutting down the trees.

The council considers the request starting next week.