What's In & What's Out
What’s In and What’s Out of the City of La Crosse’s Capital Improvement Budget — impacting roads, trails, and quality of life projects.
OPTIONAL: View the proposed projects on a map here >> (be patient, it takes a bit to load)
Need more background before you start?
The plan presents five years of funding (2022-2026).
FOR 2022
Since the June version of the plan, the City’s committees have
reduced the total to be spent from $84.4 million to $51.3 million.
COMPARED TO 2021:
Lower by $68.7 million
(the City built a new wastewater treatment plan for $62 million in 2021)
How They’re Paying for It
$22.5 mil in borrowing*
$30.6 mil out of the City’s Annual Budget
(i.e. from your property taxes & fees paid)
Why This Matters
Similar to your budget, when you borrow money, you have a new, additional monthly payment to make that include interest.
Currently, the City of La Crosse spends 18% of its annual budget paying for debt.
Like you, a municipality can fit this payment into its current budget by reducing other expenses (i.e., programs/services) or increase its income (i.e., how much your community taxes you). It must be mindful that it has many people on fixed or low incomes.
You have a say in how your municipality is managing your money and the programs/services they are prioritizing.
Originally Proposed in June But No Longer in the Five-Year Plan
Additional Projects Removed
By Department
Buildings & Grounds — Library
- Main Branch Library Parking Lot Resurface
- 6th and Badger St. Green Space
Flood Control Harbors & Waterfront
River Point District Waterway Development Plan
Parks, Recreation & Forestry
- Wittenberg Park Environmental Analysis and Fill
- Citywide Fence Repair
- Springbrook Park Lighting
- Hixon Forest Rehabilitation ($20k)
Planning & Community Development — Economic Development
Property Acquisition and Pre-Development Work
Public Safety
- Fire Station #5 — New Construction
- Police Station #2 Fiber Connection
- Fire Station #3 — Remodel/Refurbish Existing Station, Add new City EOC Community Room Space
- Fire Station #1 — New Construction
Transportation & Utilities — Streets
- Causeway Blvd — Dead End West to Copeland Ave
- Buchner Pl — Copeland Ave to Dead End West
- Copeland Park Drive — Saint Cloud St. to Dead End North
- Sumner Street — Hagar St. to Dead End South
- Milwaukee St. — Buchner Pl to Causeway Blvd
- Monitor Street — Copeland Ave. to Milwaukee St.
- Kraft Street — Causeway Blvd. to Dead End North
- Copeland Park Drive — Gold St. to Clinton St.
- 6th St. S — State to Cass St.
Transportation & Utilities — Utilities
Environmental engineering consulting near Wells 23 and 24
TOTAL UNFUNDED REQUESTS: $9 million
QUESTIONS TO ASK
as you read this. Did they get it right?
PUBLIC INPUT
From “Capital Planning in a Digital Era” LINK >>
1) Are the priorities of the City clear?
2) Is the need (vs. want) clearly identified?
3) Are desired outcomes clear? Measurable?
4) Does the financing make sense (pay-as-you go/operations vs. borrowing)?
6) How will the City keep citizens informed?
MORE BEST PRACTICES AT THE VERY END OF THIS PAGE
Projects added since the June proposal
Typically, these are asked for during the budget creation process by department heads, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and more
Check out the Map for Road Construction Projects. NEW: 29th St from Robinsdale to Hass St & Paving Quarry Rd.
Projects changed since the June proposal
Additional Project Moved from 2022 to Other Years
- Riverside Park Electric Site Plan ($100k)
- Crowley Park Redo ($100k)
- Hass Park ($200k)
- Seminary Park Redo ($100k)
- Utility line to the La Crosse Municipal Harbor ($40k)
- Boulevard Tree Installation — La Crosse Street to Oakland (40k)
- Hear, Here Project — Downtown & North La Crosse ($41k)
- Public Market ($12.5 mil)
- Code Compliance Loan Program ($65k)
- Causeway Blvd Sanitary Lift Station Rehabilitation Program ($1 mil)
- Pedestrian Lighting, 7th St. N — from La Crosse St. to North Terminus ($90k)
- Lueth Park Rennovation ($50k)
- Downtown Neighborhood Association Paint & Fix Up Grant program ($30k)
- Erickson Tennis and Basketball Court Renovation/Parking Lot ($300k over two years)
- Copeland Park Walk of Fame/Sidewalk ($350k)
- Chad Erickson Lagoon Trail Stabilization ($75k)
- Leuth Park Upgrades ($50k)
- Lost La Crosse Historical Signage
- 8th St. Pedestrian Lighting, Jackson St. to Cass St. ($770k)
- Green Bay St. Sidewalk Addition from West Ave to 16th St. ($125k)
- Hwy 53 Corridor Streetscaping Decorative Medallions ($60k)
ROADS
- 22nd St. — Hyde to Weston
- 28th St. — Main to Cass St. (578k)
- Cliffwood Lane — 28th St. to Seiler Ln ($1.1 mil)
- 2nd Street South — Jay St. to Cass St. ($680k)
- 2nd Street South — Cameron Ave. to Market St. (680k)
- Vine Street — Front St. to 2nd St. ($401k)
- Zion Road (Garner Pl to Dead End) ($322k)
- 17th Pl S — Main to Cass St.
- Liberty St. — Hayes to Moore ($545k)
- King St. Greenway Extension — 7th St. to the Mississippi River (250k)
- Garner Place (Zion Rd to dead end)
- Division Street — West Ave. to 11th St. ($192k)
- 2nd St. Protected Bicycle Lane ($169k)
- Downtown Neighborhood Association — Cass Street Streetscaping Improvements ($150k)
- 21st St. N — Campbell Rd to State St. ($502k)
- Livingston Street — Liberty St. to George St. ($775k)
- St. Andrew St. — Wood to Dead End ($1.12 mil)
- Farnam St. — 10th St. S to West Ave ($659k)
STILL INCLUDED PROJECTS- Highlights
Ideas proposed by the community (department heads, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and more)
Check out our map to see all projects (give it a moment to load, it’s in Google Earth) including:
police evidence garage remodel, Pammel Creek repairs, marsh hydrological study, Carroll Park, Red Cloud Trail,
FROM THE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT BUDGET
City Proposes Leasing Cars From Enterprise
“The City is in partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management. The City is transitioning fleet vehicles to leased vehicles to ultimately reduce the fleet budget and to update the current aging fleet.”
The City will lease 71 vehicles at a cost of $373,671 per year.
Numbers Breakdown
Deeper Comparison
| Year | Total Capital Budget | Total Borrowed (Debt-Financed) | Total City Funded |
| 2022 | $51.3 mil | $22.5 mil | $30.6 mil |
| 2021 | $120 mil | $17.4 mil | $33.1 mil |
| 2020 | $44.4 mil | $29 mil | $220.2 mil |
%
of the City's Annual Budget is spent paying down debt
BEST PRACTICES & QUESTIONS
The NEED Part
In a document called “Capital Planning in the Digital Era” Open Gov says CIPS should include:
- List of projects, equipment, and major studies
- Ranking of each project
- Financing plan
- Timetable for construction or completion for each project
- Data to support justifying the projects
- Statement of the objectives of capital programs and the relationship of those programs to long range development plans.
The PLAN Part
- Where the numbers hit reality
- prevent too many large tickets coming due at one time causing financial strain
- plan for how things will get paid for, such as
- pay as you go (Operational funding)
- grants (federal & state)
- borrowing / debt financing
- special assessments (i.e. those impacted pay in only)
Council Priorities From the Website
- Housing – mixed use development & redevelopment
- Public safety
- Code enforcement
- Improved streets and infrastructure
- Develop/improve regional relationships
- Develop budget performance measures and cost savings
- Attract employers
- Improve community engagement
- Improve employee relationships
- Improve internal and external communications
- Improve public access online.
