La Crosse Panel Backs City Administrator Plan
A committee vote advances a proposal that would give the Common Council authority to hire and fire a city administrator and move budget preparation away from the mayor.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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La Crosse's Judiciary and Administration Committee voted 5-2 on Wednesday to recommend a city administrator proposal sponsored by council members Larry Sleznikow and Aron Newberry. The committee also voted 5-2 to recommend denying the mayor's competing version.
Why it matters
La Crosse operates under a weak mayor system, and the proposal would shift responsibility for preparing the annual budget away from the mayor toward the administrator. The mayor's competing version would instead have the administrator report to both the mayor and the council and let the mayor draft yearly budgets.
The committee voted 5-2 to recommend the Sleznikow and Newberry proposal, which gives the Common Council power to hire and fire the administrator and shifts budget preparation from the mayor. Among Wisconsin's 190 cities, 101 use a city administrator or city manager, but the full Council has not yet acted on either version.
The players
Larry Sleznikow
Larry Sleznikow is a La Crosse Common Council member who co-sponsored the city administrator proposal.
Aron Newberry
Aron Newberry is a La Crosse Common Council member who co-sponsored the city administrator proposal.
Jennifer Trost
Jennifer Trost is a La Crosse Common Council member representing District 10.
The details
The proposal was sponsored by council members Larry Sleznikow and Aron Newberry and had failed twice before committee consideration. Council Member Jennifer Trost, who represents District 10, was among those involved in the committee process.
Timeline
Nov. 4, 2026: Judiciary and Administration Committee voted on both proposals.
Nov. 12, 2026: Full Common Council is scheduled to take up both proposals.
Political Context
La Crosse's proposal would move the city toward the professional-administrator model used by 101 of Wisconsin's 190 cities. The mayor's competing version keeps budget drafting with the mayor, reflecting the weak mayor structure the city currently operates under.
If adopted, the proposal would let the Common Council hire and fire the city administrator and move annual budget preparation out of the mayor's office. Residents would see changes in how city budgets are drafted and who is accountable for the administrator's performance.
The takeaway
Local governance structure can shift which office controls the city budget, and the La Crosse vote will determine whether the Common Council gains direct authority over the administrator. The full Council's November 12 decision is the next point at which that outcome will be settled.
What happens next
The full Common Council is scheduled to consider both the city administrator proposal and the mayor's competing version on November 12, 2026.
Further reading
For more on local government decisions, see City Hall coverage of La Crosse.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News8000.
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