La Crosse mayor, sworn in Tuesday, talks of new, smaller city council

Kabat ran unopposed in winning his second term as mayor.

Tim Kabat was sworn in for his second term as mayor Tuesday, facing a city council with several familiar faces gone, and new ones to take their place.

Seven new council members took their seats Tuesday, making up a majority of a smaller, 13-person council. 

The mayor says the council needs to know what the city’s priorities are for housing, health, and transportation.

“At the rate that we’re going we’re falling farther behind,” Kabat said. “This year we are allocating additional resources to the the tune of about $2.5 million. We’re going to look to do the same in 2018. 

“And we’re going to have a conversation with this new council about, ‘What are the priorities and how do we get there with limited resources?'”

Kabat says neighborhoods, libraries and parks also will need attention from the newly-seated council.

“It remains to be seen if 13 is the right number,” Kabat said. “It will hopefully lend itself to more decision making without necessarily having to go back to committees to get hung up.”