Committee approves carryover resolution after hour‑long debate over police overtime, severance and budget accounting

The La Crosse Finance & Personnel Committee voted 3–2 to approve a resolution authorizing carryovers of unexpended appropriations and year‑end budget adjustments after a prolonged discussion about department overruns, particularly in public safety.

Chief Kudron, who spoke for the police department, told the committee the apparent budget overruns stemmed largely from staffing dynamics and recurring premium pay. "We averaged 7 open positions," he said, and added that the department routinely exceeds its overtime line: "In 2025, it was $521,404.86" compared with an overtime line of $260,000. He said severance payments and premium pay for canine officers and holiday coverage also raised costs and that some line items under which the department has discretion were underspent: "what we had control over, we saved $171,615." Chief Kudron said he and his assistant have sought accounting clarifications to reconcile how salary and wage totals appeared at or near 100 percent despite vacancies.

Director Hawkins of Finance described the city's budgeting and carryover process and said that many overruns only become apparent late in the fiscal year. "They usually come closer to the end of the year," Hawkins said, explaining routine payouts, collective bargaining impacts and the timing of contract settlements that can affect the first year of a contract. Hawkins emphasized that overall the city closed the year in the black and that some departments came in under budget while others did not.

Fire and parks department leaders described similar structural pressures. Chief Schott said overtime and severance drove much of the fire department's overage: "Overtime was 270,000. Severance was 110,000, which we can't budget for." Parks Director Odegaard said stronger recreation and marina revenue helped offset expenses this year and that some storm‑response line items simply were not needed in 2025.

Several council members pushed for clearer budgeting of predictable costs. Councilmember Janssen urged the council to avoid shaping public perception negatively and to examine whether recurring payouts — severance, comp banks, holiday pay and compressed‑pay adjustments — should be explicitly budgeted. Councilmember Kalo suggested the city consider asking voters to exceed the levy limit via referendum for public‑safety funding if structural shortfalls persist.

The committee debated whether the carryovers should be presented individually rather than combined. Hawkins said they could be separated but noted that historically the city has typically bundled these items. The resolution carried 3–2; members voting against said they wanted more transparency and itemized follow‑up before final approval.

The committee did not adopt any immediate structural budget changes; instead, members and staff said they would pursue further analysis of how recurring premium pay, severance and vacancy practices should be reflected in future budgets. The chair adjourned the meeting after the vote.