County commission passes vote to merge its library with city of La Crosse

City’s library costs more than all but four in state
and city’s workers paid much more than county’s

La Crosse County supervisors are backing the formation of a joint library commission with the City of La Crosse but with some reluctance.

The vote to form a commission passed 18-9 at Thursday’s county board meeting.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat wants a merger of the two library systems to take effect next year but comparisons of the systems show that city library workers are paid much more than their counterparts at the county level.

Figures also show that the La Crosse Library costs more than all but four other public libraries in Wisconsin.  Those more expensive libraries are in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, and Kenosha.  

An early study of merger plans suggests that bringing the two systems together would lower taxes in the city of La Crosse, while raising them for others in the county.

“I don’t think the county can solve the city library’s problems,” Supervisor Peg Jerome said at the meeting. “But I do think that this commission is a first step for a good faith effort to start this conversation and I will be supporting it.”

A motion to postpone a merger indefinitely was defeated.

Long-time board member Ralph Geary says the study should move ahead. 

This may take a year, this may take two years,” Geary said. “This may take longer than I’ve been on the county board. I don’t know (as the room erupted in laughter).”