Mayor of La Crosse says local government works

Local government in La Crosse has plenty of critics among taxpayers but the mayor says Congress could learn a lesson from cities and towns.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat spoke about the “state of the city” at the first city council meeting of the year last week, drawing comparison to the federal shutdown.

“On the heels of a hyper-partisan, lame-duck session in Madison, shows that the local level government is working and providing services for thousands of citizens each day,” Kabat said. “We are the example for getting things done.

“Government still works well at the local level. We take our responsibilities for service and La Crosse’s quality of life very seriously, and we don’t back down from the difficulties that confront us.”

With efforts to keep local taxes down, the mayor promoted ideas for new developments in 2019.

Besides the $42 million La Crosse Center expansion, Kabat also hopes to get houses built on the Naval Reserve property and the start of a local history museum.

“We accomplish this and more while still lowering our property tax rate,” Kabat said. “The $12.04 tax rate is the lowest it’s been since 2007.”

Kabat’s message pointed to progress in working on boundary issues with Shelby, as well.

The mayor also says the city repaved six miles of streets and is busy renewing public parks such as the All-Abilities Trane Park.