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La Crosse council approves year-end budget carryovers after heated scrutiny of police and fire allocations
Summary
On April 9 the council approved a statutory year-end carryover and budget adjustment resolution after an amendment; debate focused on repeated carryovers, transparency around police and fire budgets, and the library's large under-spend.
The La Crosse Common Council adopted a resolution to carry over unmet 2025 operating expenditures into the 2026 budget after a contentious discussion about budgeting practices and departmental funding. After approving an amendment (12–1), the amended resolution passed 11–2.
Finance Director Hawkins described the action as a statutory balancing step required before the city’s audit, saying the carryover reallocates surplus budgets to cover departments that exceeded their 2025 appropriations. "As a whole we came in under budget as a city by about $74,000," Hawkins said, and the carryover shifts internal surpluses where needed for audit compliance.
Several council members pressed staff on the recurring pattern of carryovers and on whether police and fire budgets had been properly presented. "We have historical evidence to prove it—police and fire were not funded properly," Councilmember Goggin said, urging greater transparency. Hawkins acknowledged that some budgeting strategies had been used to meet constraints such as maintaining the tax rate or meeting debt-related parameters and said staff is working to present full-strength budgets earlier in the process.
Library Director Rebecca Franzen told the council the library intentionally came in about $250,000 under budget due to deliberate staffing and service decisions, and explained that library carryover funds remain with the library by statute and are intended to support future services.
Councilmember Janssen moved the amendment to the resolution; the amendment passed 12–1. The final amended carryover resolution passed 11–2. Council discussion emphasized the desire for improved budget transparency and a plan to move away from recurring carryover practices.
Next steps: Hawkins said finance will work on strategies to present fully funded departmental budgets earlier in the cycle to reduce year-end adjustments and asked staff to return with improved budget documentation for 2027 planning.
