Coronavirus
La Crosse council passes $57 million operating budget
The city of La Crosse has approved a new budget for 2021, including $57 million in spending.
Mayor Tim Kabat says this spending plan is lower than the budget which was in effect when he took office almost eight years ago, noting that it has “less spending … by, I believe, a couple million dollars, we have less actual taxes that we collect from our taxpayers.”
The owner of a $150,000 home would pay an extra $36 a year in property taxes under the new budget.
Jessica Olson was the only council member to vote no on the plan.
“I cannot bring myself to support an increase in taxes in the current economic environment in the city,” said Olson.
The plan follows a year when City Hall has lost more than $4 million in revenue.
Kabat added that the city will work to rebuild service levels of departments hit hard during the pandemic, such as the La Crosse Center and the library.