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City wheel tax proposal likely done, could return

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A proposed wheel tax for the city of La Crosse is likely off the table after a vote by the city council this week.

The council is expected to put off a vote on a wheel tax “indefinitely.” It could, however, come back, and city council member Gary Padesky expects to see the idea make a return.

“I think there’ll be some discussion on something, but I think we’re talking a good, well into next year,” Padesky said. “Probably around the time budget talks start, there will be discussion how to make up that difference again.”

That doesn’t mean he’ll like it any more when that happens.

“I was not a fan of the wheel tax, the more I thought about it — just out of the fairness issue,” Padesky said. “If it did come up again in the next four or five months, unless there’s a way to spread the pain, per say, a little bit, I would not be in favor of charging $25 per vehicle.”

Mayor Tim Kabat’s $25 per vehicle wheel tax would have increased road repair revenue by $1.2 million annually in the city. He also proposed having it after five years.

Borrowing the same amount would add around $20 to the property tax bill of a median priced home in the city.

Padesky prefers simply borrowing more as a way to pay for road fixes in the city.

“My personal opinion, and some of the other people on council, we feel that’s the fairer way to do it,” Padesky said, “because, that way, it’s just not going to be people with two or three cars, who maybe have one just for going to Menards to haul wood. At least this way we’d have businesses and other people help paying for it.”

A full city council vote on the wheel tax comes Thursday.

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