City administrator planup for discussion by La Crosse committee Tuesday

A proposal to hire a city administrator for La Crosse goes before a city council committee this week.

The idea for a full-time manager to work alongside La Crosse’s mayor was proposed 12 years ago, and was voted down in a referendum.

The city’s Judiciary and Administration Committee has included a proposed ordinance for the administrator post on the agenda for its October meeting on Tuesday.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds has discussed the city admin position on La Crosse Talk PM multiple times, including a few weeks ago.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

A staff report says employing an administrator could cost the city between $186,645.89 – $194,422.80 a year but would pay for itself in a “short period of time.”

It also noted some of an administrator’s duties in a municipality that also had a mayor.

• 1. The Administrator coordinates and prepares the operating budget as a key policy document and presents the budget to the Council.
• 2. The Administrator establishes governmental effectiveness and performance measures/outcomes.
• 3. The Administrator coordinates and supervises a cooperative and interdisciplinary team of professionals serving the varying needs of the community.
• 4. The Administrator ensures that the organization is a high performing and learning organization.
• 5. The Administrator is responsible to the Council for the overall coordination and direction of the day-to-day operations of City government.
• 6. The Administrator is charged with providing the Council policy information and recommendations and implementation of Council policies.
• 7. The Administrator ensures that there is a fair and uniform application of policy between all departments within the city organization.