2025 City Council Candidate Paul Brown
District 13
LA CROSSE CITY COUNCIL
Paul Brown
WIZM La Crosse Talk interview:
CONTACT: [email protected], 608-788-0326 (leave a message)
Brown’s answers to WIZM questionnaire:
About You:
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but never wanted to live there as an adult. I moved to La Crosse for job opportunity knowing little about the community. La Crosse quickly won me over and I decided to make it my forever home. I met my wife here, a La Crosse native, and will retire here. I have lived on the south side of La Crosse for 36 years with no intentions to leave. La Crosse is a perfect fit with many things to see and do with the 3 universities, the bluffs, the river, the airport and flight school, and downhill skiing, all of which I use and enjoy. La Crosse is small enough to feel safe, a great place to raise a family, to benefit from excellent schools, a strong sense of community where I can run into people I know, yet big enough to enjoy the many benefits the community has to offer. My wife and I have 3 children with 2 in college studying to be in the medical profession and one attending La Crosse Central High School. I have a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. I have worked in the human services field as a compassionate, helping professional for 40 years in various capacities, from providing direct service to clients, and also in administrative and supervisory roles. I am active within my local church including being on the Finance Committee and serving on the local NAMI (National Alliance for Mentally Ill) affiliate Board as Treasurer. I am also private pilot and love the local airport.
Why did you decide to run for City Council, and what experiences or skills do you bring that will help you represent your district and the city effectively?
There are many reasons I decided to run. First of all, I would like to give back to the community in which I have lived 36 years. I was encouraged to run for City Council by a current member of the Council at a time when I happened to be considering the possibility of getting more politically active. I have seen taxes rise to the point in which people are leaving the community or refuse to buy a home in La Crosse due to high taxation. I see empty office buildings and businesses closing with little growth in town, the school district has declining enrollment while Onalaska and Holmen grow. I am concerned with the number of people I see serving in political office who take office with well intentioned ideas that exceed the role of government. I see tax dollars being spent on non-essential services and spent in an ineffective manner (homeless and talk of “donating” tax money to Delta airlines). I saw $22 million in ARPA money gifted by the Federal government and yet the City overspent the budget and raised taxes 8.2%. I am concerned with the cost of debt service with more borrowing in the works. It’s time to focus on essential services and to be responsive to residents and taxpayers. I believe I can accomplish this as a member of City Council.
How would you ensure residents in your district are actively involved in city planning and decision-making processes?
It is my intention to be available to constituents via telephone and email. I would be happy to meet with anyone who requests to meet with me to freely discuss any issues or concerns. Should I be elected, my role as a City Council member is to listen and carefully consider any and all concerns of the persons living in my district.
The City Council delayed a vote on hiring a City Administrator until after the election. Do you support the creation of this position? How do you see this role working in collaboration with the City Council and the mayor’s office?
It was a wise decision to delay the hire of a City Administrator until after the election. When current Mayor Reynolds tried to bring it to a vote, the details of the position had not been carefully considered with regard to cost, how the position would change the way City government is run, the impact on the mayor’s office, nor most important of all, the city residents had not had sufficient opportunity to learn about it and make their views known. Yet, several members of City Council still wanted to vote in favor of it (to ram it through) before these details and public views on the idea were known. This is a big decision because a City Administrator works for the City government, not for the voting public. Thankfully, more conservative members of the Council prevailed and the decision was delayed. I do not yet have a specific view on the City Administrator position because the committee tasked with studying the idea is still gathering information. I find both mayoral candidates and all but one of the City Council candidates are in favor of it. They say it will save money, but government is replete with such “promises” that do not pan out. I think there is potential to benefit from having a City Administrator, but I would like to see spending reductions designed to pay for the City Administrator position and, if approved, I would like to have language written into the employment contract that specifies how the goal of saving money and finding efficiencies will be measured, and actions or consequence if the goals of the position are not met.
What role do you see the City Council playing in addressing homelessness in La Crosse? Do you support the Pathways Home initiative? What aspects of the plan do you find most effective? Or what alternative solutions would you propose?
Many mistakes were made by the current leadership with regard to homelessness. A great deal of tax money was spent and much damage was caused at Econo Lodge, Houska and Cameron Parks, the Riverpoint district, and the marsh (including La Crosse’s reputation as a nice community in which to live). The people of my district had to mobilize 2 years ago to stop the city from purchasing the Maple Grove Motel for the homeless. Had the city been successful, it would have taken another business off the tax rolls, and harmed other businesses in the area, not to mention the adverse impact on the neighborhood itself. There have been no tangible results for City’s homeless expenditures and many have argued they made the problem worse. Homelessness is a nationwide problem made worse by a Federal government that taxes too much, regulates too much, and inflates the cost of housing and other goods and services rendering housing and rent less affordable. Homelessness is not a problem the city itself can fix. The mistakes of the past 4 years proves this.
Now, lest I be accused of having no compassion, I have worked in the helping profession 40 years with 15 years providing direct service and supervising staff specifically serving persons with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders under the auspices of La Crosse County Human Services and Vernon and Crawford Counties. The population I serve include people experiencing homelessness. I would like to bring these experiences to City Council.
The Pathways Home project is a significant improvement over what Mayor Reynolds and City Council have done because of excellent services available through La Crosse County Human Services. For those who do not know, the County has many existing programs for persons likely to experience homelessness including but not limited to: Community Support Programs under contract with Family & Children’s Center, Comprehensive Community Services, Targeted Case Management, and access to the Aging and Disability Resource Center to name a few. These services are very effective and are already funded. To the extent that persons experiencing homelessness are connected with these services via Pathways Home, the better. Coordination with private, volunteer organization like Salvation Army and Catholic Charities is essential. If elected to City Council, I would expect to provide some oversite to Pathways Home so the City does not keep making the mistakes of the past.
What steps would you take to increase the availability of affordable housing, particularly for working-class residents and vulnerable populations?
The political class loves to use the phrase “affordable housing” because it sounds appealing and is undefined. Because the phase is undefined, citizens hear the word from their own perspective. That makes it especially appealing because citizens fill in their own definition. In reality, affordable housing is a code word for “paid by others” in the form of subsidies from public funds. The best way to make housing more affordable is: 1. Stop raising taxes and find ways to reduce them. Renters also pay property taxes in the form of higher rent. 2. The law of supply and demand dictates we need more (housing) supply to reduce demand which lowers prices. 3. We need to reduce the regulations that discourage construction and interferes with accessory dwelling units. 4. We need more “middle level” housing options. That is, smaller starter homes. 5. We need to decrease tax exempt property and fill empty store fronts. 6. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to decrease taxes enough to convince Shelby and Campbell to join our La Crosse community, eliminating the cost of duplication of services, and allowing La Crosse to grow.
How would you balance supporting new business development and sustaining existing businesses while preserving the unique character of La Crosse’s downtown and neighborhoods? Are there specific projects or ideas you would advocate for?
The best way to support new business and existing business is to get out of the way. I have seen businesses leave or refuse to open in La Crosse as a result of interference from City Hall. As a resident of District #13, the far south end of La Crosse, there is a sense my district is forgotten. The south side of La Crosse has potential for growth and to attract businesses to the district. Two years ago we found ourselves unified in our effort to stop the City Council and Mayor Reynolds from turning the former Maple Grove Motel into a homeless encampment. Several problems with the City’s plans were their lack of transparency with the local businesses near the Maple Grove, the high purchase price, poor understanding and lack of foresight of the harmful implications to the neighborhood and business by going forward with the project. They were on a mission on behalf of homeless at the expense of the businesses and residents.
Recent reports show a decline in La Crosse’s population. What strategies would you support to attract and retain residents, particularly younger people and families?
As stated previously, high taxes discourage people from buying homes in La Crosse. Young people cannot afford the taxes on homes that exceed the cost of monthly rent in addition to a mortgage. Retirees find themselves being taxed out of their homes. It feels like we are becoming a community of haves and have-nots where there are really nice homes in some sections of the city and other areas that are becoming run down due in part to the cost of housing.
What is your approach to improving and maintaining the city’s infrastructure, including roads, public transportation and utilities? How would you ensure equitable access across the city?
As a city, we need to focus on providing essential services to residents. This includes roads, public transportation, and utilities, as well as police and fire. Pools and libraries are pretty nice too. We do not need City and County leaders to spend money on non essential services like a tree canopy downtown and debt related interest.
How would you advocate for improvements to transportation options in your district and the city? What ideas do you have for public transportation, bike lanes or pedestrian-friendly pathways?
We already have a bus system and that is wonderful. Unfortunately, the bus system experiences low ridership. We need the bus system to continue as is for those persons with disabilities who must ride the bus, for those who do not have access to a car, or for those who choose low cost bus transportation rather than deal with the cost of operating a vehicle. Bike lanes have been problematic as currently conceived. While bike lanes are fine and a good addition to the city, they really need to be placed on roads with less traffic on them and 2 way lanes on the bike lane itself is excessive. I hold up the bike lane on 2nd street as a particular example.
What strategies would you support to ensure that La Crosse remains a safe community for residents and visitors? What plans do you have to address issues such as police-community relations, crime prevention and emergency response preparedness?
We need to fully support our police to every extent possible. I am aware of and support the ride along efforts made by our local law enforcement and human services providers to teach officers better methods for interacting with persons with mental illness. Police are not the “bad” guys. I was appalled when the La Crosse School District wanted to reduce School Resource Officers (SROs) because some students might be afraid of police. A better solution would have been more positive interaction with police, not less. We do not need citizen review boards for police.
What climate action policies or sustainability initiatives would you champion in your district and citywide? How would you address renewable energy, waste reduction, and the protection of green spaces?
Climate change as it is currently called is a complicated thing. We do no know if climate change is a natural cycle as has occurred since the beginning of time or if climate change is a function human action. Changes made by La Crosse alone will not make a difference world wide so climate related expenditures must be carefully considered before being implemented. Solar power may lower energy bills, but if solar panels are funded/subsidized by other tax money, have to be replaced and disposed of, and come from mining rare earth metals from across the globe, are we really better off? If it takes 2 garbage trucks instead of 1 truck using fossil fuels and polluting the air to pick up recycling and non recyclable refuse, are we really better off? The City has allowed the brewery to put sulfur dioxide into the air for decades and only now is making an issue out of it and resorting to punishing the brewery. We just need to consider the potential for adverse consequences of climate change intervention.
How can the City Council collaborate with the school district and community organizations to ensure educational opportunities and services for young people? Are there district-specific needs you would focus on?
I do think the school district and city government need to work together when decisions are being made. Building new schools building in a district that has too many school buildings, tearing down the functioning Hogan Administrative Center, closing schools without a plan for the disposition of those properties, bussing kids across town as they wanted to do with the failed high school consolidation plan, and raising school district taxes (again) without addressing overstaffing and the operational budget do not make sense to me. All of these decisions impact city residents and are not respected as such.
What role do you see for the City Council in fostering tech innovation and improving digital infrastructure? How could your district benefit from smart city initiatives or local tech industry development?
I think this question is beyond the role of a City Council members. It is an example of where local city government needs to stay out of the way.
