Residency Incentives Could be on the Way for City Workers

City hall can’t force employees to live in La Crosse.  But where coercion is not an option, bribery may prove effective.  The city council’s executive committee today considers ideas for creating an incentive program to retain city employees within municipal boundaries and maybe bring some current non-residents back into the fold.  Currently, the city reports that 29% of its employees live outside the city, excluding library workers.  However among city police and fire, that number is much higher; 42% live outside of city limits.  Recent state law changes forbid municipalities to enforce residency requirements.