Mayor Reynolds and outgoing La Crosse council members attend their last meetings, following April election

Several members of the La Crosse city council, and Mayor Mitch Reynolds, have attended their last regular monthly session, before new Mayor Shaundel Washington Spivey is sworn in next week.

At the April meeting on Thursday, the mayor and departing members of the council expressed their thanks to colleagues and the public. Reynolds chose not to run for a second term as mayor, and he thanked the council for the work that they have done with him for the city.

“We should all be proud of the work we’ve done to improve this community now and lay the groundwork for making the future brighter for the people of La Crosse,” said Reynolds. “All I can say is thank you all. I’m grateful to have been part of this extraordinary journey.”

Newly-elected mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey and five new council members will take office at a special City Hall meeting next Tuesday.

Rebecca Schwarz is one of the council members leaving office. On Thursday night, Schwarz encouraged others in La Crosse to consider running for a council seat.

“If you love this community, and you want to work for a better La Crosse in the future, and you’re willing to work hard and listen to people,” said Schwarz, “you could have a seat here, too.” She said council seats “should not be out of reach for anyone in this community who loves La Crosse.”

The next regular council election will be two years from now in 2027, when six seats will be on the ballot.

At Thursday’s meeting, the council approved new zoning for a residential complex planned on 10th Street, near Mayo, and endorsed a State Senate bill to create a state film office, that would promote movie production.