Working group presents survey and timeline for proposed La Crosse city administrator; costs and accountability top concerns

The City Administrator Working Group presented its findings to the council on Dec. 11, summarizing eight engagement sessions and an online survey that drew 328 responses and highlighted cost and accountability as the leading public concerns.

The working group’s presentation reviewed options for creating a city administrator role through a charter ordinance scheduled for the Feb. 12 council meeting. “Altogether, we received 328 responses,” the meeting chair said, noting that respondents who self‑identified as 65 and older were the largest demographic group represented in the survey.

Why it matters: the ordinance under consideration would transfer some duties from the mayor’s office to an appointed city administrator. That change could trigger a binding referendum process because it is a charter ordinance; Attorney Matty told members the council would need to allow 60 days for any valid petition to qualify a referendum, which could push implementation timelines into 2027.

Hiring timeline and recruitment: Rebecca Franzen, director of human resources, gave a multi-step schedule if the ordinance is approved: a 60‑day referendum period, issuance of an RFP to hire an executive search firm (30+ days), vendor selection and budget approvals by early July, candidate recruitment and interviews in late summer and fall, and council confirmation expected no earlier than January 2027 — with a realistic earliest start of February 2027. “It is lengthy,” Franzen said, urging council members to plan accordingly.

Funding and compensation: Finance Director Chad Hawkins said funding the role depends on the duties assigned but recommended that no less than 50% of the position be paid from the general fund, with the remainder drawn from grants, TIF administration, utilities or other enterprise funds as appropriate. On compensation structure, Franzen outlined two options — slot the role into a new pay grade on the city scale or hire under an employment contract — and reported a consultant recommendation that the administrator’s pay be about 20–25% higher than the city’s highest‑paid employee.

Search costs and process: Franzen estimated executive search fees at roughly 10–15% of the negotiated salary, or about $21,000–$33,000 based on typical market levels, and said those costs would likely appear in the 2026 budget cycle if the council proceeds.

Legal authority and removal: Attorney Matty explained that, as drafted, the charter ordinance would make the administrator an at‑pleasure position that could be removed by a three‑quarters affirmative vote of total council membership; by contrast, most current department heads are removable only for cause. Matty said the council could amend the ordinance language to set different removal or probationary terms if it wished.

Council concerns and next steps: Throughout the discussion members repeatedly cited two central issues — how the role would be paid for and how to ensure a transparent, nonpolitical hiring process that protects city staff and public trust. Several members asked for additional input from department heads and frontline staff; a motion to reconvene the working group to gather further staff feedback passed unanimously. The working group encouraged council members to propose any ordinance amendments ahead of the February hearing.

Procedural outcomes: The working group approved its meeting minutes and unanimously approved a motion to hold an additional CAWG meeting to gather updated department‑level input. The charter ordinance itself was not voted on at this meeting and will return to the common council in February, after which a 60‑day petition period could follow if a referendum petition is filed.

What’s next: Council consideration of the charter ordinance is slated for February; if the ordinance is adopted and no successful referendum intervenes, the earliest realistic timeline for recruiting, selecting and confirming a city administrator points to a February 2027 start date.

Attributions: Quotes and attributable details in this report are drawn from the meeting transcript and presented using the speakers’ titles or names recorded in the session.