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La Crosse council weighs $406,000 in cuts to retain $1.7 million state aid
Summary
City leaders debated whether to cut about $406,000 from department budgets to qualify for the state Expenditure Restraint Program and its roughly $1.7 million payment for 2026; department heads outlined specific service and staffing reductions, and council did not take a formal vote.
La Crosse city officials spent a special Sept. 23 meeting debating whether to make roughly $406,000 in budget reductions so the city can qualify for the state Expenditure Restraint Program (ERP) — a choice that preserves an expected $1.7 million payment in 2026.
Mayor opened the meeting at 4:01 p.m. and asked Director Hawkins to review an updated budget that, he said, had been reduced substantially since an earlier shortfall. "We are actually down to about 406,000," Director Hawkins said, and presented department-level scenarios designed to meet ERP while limiting service impacts.
The question of whether to pursue ERP shaped the session. Director Hawkins explained the trade-off: the state program rewards restrained year-to-year spending and the city has qualified for an ERP payment estimated at $1,700,000 for 2026. "If we don't maintain that payment, next year we'll certainly be in another deficit," Hawkins said, urging the council to consider preserving the aid.
Attorney Maddie, chair of the Employee Benefits Trust Fund Committee, urged a…
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