Council unanimously passes $70 million budget

Property tax levy slightly cut, saving a few dollars 

A roughly $70 million spending plan for the city of La Crosse has been adopted for the coming year.

It comes with the slightest of cuts in the property tax levy rate, which will save a few bucks for homeowners, but not much.

Still a cut, said council president Martin Gaul at Tuesday’s meeting, and a good spending plan for the coming year.

“It certainly is a reflection of the goals of this council and the goals of the mayor and the city to keep our tax rate under control,” Gaul said.

It’s better than most cities in Wisconsin do, said council member Doug Happel added.

“The city of La Crosse is one of the few municipalities that actually maintains our mill rate,” Happel said. “We don’t really increase it. So we’re really doing what we’re asked to do and I think, doing it very well.”

One thing the city’s operating budget for the coming year will do is fully fund the neighborhood resource officers, which were previously paid for with grants. It will also create a crime analyst position for the police department and restore hours of operation for the city’s two branch libraries.

“All of the construction and the increase in property values that we have had and continue to have going on in the city really allow us to grow and to increase in what we can do for the city without having to increase our tax rate,” Happel said.

The city council unanimously endorsed the plan Tuesday night.