Onalaska’s new city administrator position could be illegal

Local activist files lawsuit, challenging city

Onalaska’s plan to hire a city administrator is being challenged by a local activist.

Greg Luce is going to court to nullify the ordinance creating the administrator position or to block the city of Onalaska from enforcing it.

Last year, Onalaska mayor Joe Chilsen suggested his position should move to a part-time one, while creating a city administrator position.

The city council voted to make the change, and for the last few months have been searching to fill the position, which would pay $90,000 a year. Meanwhile, Chilsen’s position would go from $60,000 to an $18,000 salary.

The city is currently interviewing finalists, but that might get put on hold with this lawsuit.

According to one attorney’s read of state statutes, every Wisconsin city with more than 15,000 people is supposed to have a full-time elected mayor.  

Onalaska passed an ordinance reducing the mayor to a part-time official, therefore breaking that law, says attorney Bernardo Cueto.

He says it’s spelled out in a paragraph of Wisconsin statutes, which would require a charter ordinance to reorganize city government.

“That specific subsection also states that a city with a certain population size, would then have a mayor that dedicates his whole time to city governemnt,” Cueto said.