Mayor Reynolds vetoes Pump House request for extra construction funds

The Mayor of La Crosse issued a veto Monday on added construction funding from the Pump House Regional Arts Center that was approved last week by the city council.

The Pump House, which rents the building from the city, was asking for an additional $13,290.03 on top of a $303,000 bathroom renovation.

The mayor’s office issued the veto for additional federal ARPA funding for the project.

The center already received $263,623 in federal grants, along with another $69,377 from a Pump House line of credit.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds vetoed the extra funding, saying it would set a bad example to ask for more money when this project already came in under budget. The project was not to exceed $333,000.

The mayor is asking the city council to sustain the veto at its next meeting.

Voting in favor of the funding included city council president Chris Kahlow, Erin Goggin, Larry Sleznikow, Mackenzie Mindel, Chris Woodard, Doug Happel and Mark Neumann.

Voting against were Tamara Dickinson, Barb Janssen, Mac Kiel, Rebecca Schwarz and Jennifer Trost.

The request passed committee two weeks ago with a 5-1 vote.