La Crosse approves county budget for next two years

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — The County of La Crosse has finalized its budget for the next two years.

County board supervisors spent the most of the day going through amendments in the budget.

One of them would take some of the proceeds from the sale of county owned parcels of land adjacent to the county land fill and put it into a separate fund for neighborhood revitalization in La Crosse specifically in the Powell, Poage, Hamiliton and Washburn neighborhoods.

“Before the end of the first quarter of next year, we will have before us specifics on what that neighborhood revitlization might look like. It might be filling the gaps for middle income families or developers who are looking to build houses in those neighborhoods,” says the Chairwoman of the La Crosse County Board Tara Johnson.

One issue brought up last night at the county public hearing was how the county was going to use money made from the CapX2020 project.

The money made is supposed to go to certain improvements with in the city of La Crosse.

Earlier this fall the county agreed to give $250,000 to upgrade Erickson Ball Park with new lighting and artificial turf, but La Crosse Parks and Recreation Director Steve Carlyon told the board last night he believes it should be used to help convert Trane Park into an “inclusive playground” for kids of all abilities.

The board is expressing support for the project but is waiting to fund the project until there is more clarity.

“Health and human services will look at that full spectrum of if the county is meeting the needs of families of children with autism and the executive committee will be looking at the details of what are the expenses what the scope of the project is and its intent,” states Johnson.

The County also approved $150,000 to go towards the Holmen community center and the park adjacent to the building.