Open Session

09/05/2026

A little weekend listening from Before Council ahead of Thursday’s Common Council meeting.

Three Meeting Companions are ready to stream wherever you get your podcasts, with the September edition of Before Council hopefully coming later this weekend.

Local government is easier to follow when we make a habit of paying attention.

Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay involved.

BEFORE COUNCIL | GET READY FOR THURSDAY

The September Common Council meeting is Thursday, September 10, and we’ve got three new Meeting Companions to help you Know Before the Vote.

🎧 Sept. 1 | Board of Estimates
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KQfsI4HhUnyE0EPdtgfla?si=cOE_RuLBSi2TzeXKWB0BjA&utm_source=copy-link]

🎧 Sept. 1 | Judiciary & Administration
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CkDN9M0TfYD3Q294rtc1v?si=6EJXcyLiSdSb8B1XEFy23g&utm_source=copy-link]

🎧 Sept. 3 | Finance & Personnel
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/1wIJVsoEQcU1IBLGUwblOd?si=bYB2rQKOQQGcMH-Y_1AgQQ&utm_source=copy-link]

All three are streamable wherever you listen to podcasts.

Meeting Companions remove extended silence, delays and other dead air while keeping the meeting discussions intact. Put them in your ears while driving, walking, working or going about your day.

We’d especially recommend the Board of Estimates meeting, which offers an important look at the work underway on La Crosse’s 2027 Operating Budget.

And Before Council with former Common Council Member Mac Kiel and La Crosse resident Tony Ayala is hopefully coming later this weekend. A few changes to the City’s video-processing timeline slowed us down this week, and Tony is traveling, but we’re planning to connect remotely and get you ready for Thursday.

We’ll share it here as soon as it’s ready.

Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay involved.

Know Before the Vote.

08/19/2026

Mac Kiel has become a resource we’ve come to trust, and this post is another great example of why.

She has a real commitment to helping the general public better understand how the City of La Crosse works, breaking down processes that can otherwise feel complicated or inaccessible.

That same perspective is a big part of our forthcoming season of Open Session, where Mac joins us as we work to demystify local government, learn how decisions actually get made, and hopefully make it a little easier for all of us to participate.

Until then, this is absolutely worth a watch and a share. Thanks, Mac, for continuing to help all of us understand our city a little better.

08/14/2026

Status quo prevails. The conversation continues.

Last night, a majority of the City of La Crosse Common Council supported the proposed City Administrator charter ordinance. But a simple majority wasn’t enough.

Because it was a charter ordinance, adoption required a two-thirds majority. It received eight votes. It needed nine.

And just like that, the procedural rules of local government became an important part of the story.

Had it passed, additional pathways could have followed, including a possible mayoral veto, Council override, and a potential petition for referendum.

Instead, this particular ordinance failed, and the City now has to determine what comes next.

That doesn’t necessarily mean starting from scratch. It does mean the conversation about City Hall’s administrative structure continues in a different form.

This is exactly what Open Session hopes to explore.

Not just what happened?

Why did it happen? How does the process work? And what happens next?

More information.
More context.
More understanding.

Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay involved.

Education. Engagement. Progress.

After nearly an hour of debate, the La Crosse Common Council rejected a proposal to create a new city administrator position during a meeting at city hall Thursday night.

08/13/2026

If the City Administrator charter ordinance passes tonight, what happens next?

Tonight’s City of La Crosse, WisconsinCommon Council meeting matters. But because this proposal is a charter ordinance, adoption by the Council would not necessarily be the end of the process.

Open Session reached out to La Crosse City Clerk Nikki Elsen ahead of tonight’s meeting to make sure we understood the potential roadmap correctly.

Here’s what we gathered:

1. COMMON COUNCIL VOTES.
The charter ordinance requires a two-thirds vote for adoption.

2. THE MAYOR COULD VETO THE ORDINANCE.
If that happens, the ordinance would return to the Common Council.

3. COUNCIL COULD ATTEMPT TO OVERRIDE THE VETO.
An override would require another two-thirds vote. If the veto is sustained, the ordinance fails and the process ends.

4. IF THE ORDINANCE CLEARS THE VETO PROCESS, IT CAN BE PUBLISHED.
If there is no veto, or if a veto is successfully overridden, the ordinance can move toward publication and its next potential stage.

5. A 60-DAY REFERENDUM PERIOD BEGINS AFTER PASSAGE AND PUBLICATION.
During that period, La Crosse residents have the statutory ability to gather signatures and file a qualifying petition requesting that the charter ordinance be submitted to voters.

6. IF A SUFFICIENT PETITION IS FILED, THE QUESTION GOES TO REFERENDUM.
Residents would then have the opportunity to approve or reject the charter ordinance at the ballot box.

NONE OF THIS IS A PREDICTION.

The Common Council may vote on the charter ordinance tonight, or it could take another procedural action that moves consideration to a future meeting. The Mayor may or may not ultimately have a veto decision to make. Council may or may not face an override vote. Residents may or may not pursue a referendum.

None of those outcomes are predetermined. Tonight is simply the next step in the process.

But understanding what could happen next is part of understanding how our local government works.

That’s one of the goals of Open Session: making the process easier to understand so residents can decide for themselves when and how they want to participate.

Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay involved.

Education. Engagement. Progress.

08/11/2026

Go vote, City of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

08/10/2026

Tomorrow is Election Day.

For a moment, we’re putting Open Session and Before Council aside for something more important: your opportunity to vote.

Whatever your politics, whatever candidates you support, take some time to get informed and make your voice heard.

If you need help understanding what’s on your ballot, registering to vote, or preparing for Election Day, the League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area is a wonderful local resource for nonpartisan voter information.

And a pretty great thing from our city: MTU buses are FREE tomorrow for Election Day.

Access to a polling place isn’t equally easy for everyone. We’re glad to live in a community that recognizes transportation can be one of those barriers and is doing something to help remove it.

Take advantage of the resources available to you. Help a neighbor if they need it. Get informed. Get to your polling place.

And vote.

Tomorrow, the most important voice in local and state government is yours.

For polling locations, please visit: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Find-My-Polling-Place

Please remember to bring an accepted photo ID. For more information on accepted IDs, visit: https://elections.wi.gov/acceptable-photo-ids #4257225834-2073277558

If you moved or changed your name since you last voted, you can register to vote at your polling place. Be sure to bring valid proof of residence (https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/votenow).

Curbside registration and voting are available for people with disabilities. A phone number is posted outside of each polling location.

You can also visit https://myvote.wi.gov/ or contact the City Clerk’s office to look up your voter registration, see what’s on your ballot, and track your absentee ballot.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

District 4: The English Lutheran Church parking lot is under construction. Please utilize street parking and enter from King Street.

District 7: The interim polling location is Our Redeemer Church, 2135 Weston Street. Please enter via Weston Street or from the accessible entrance at the rear of the building.

08/07/2026

Season 1, Episode 3 of Before Council is live.

It’s been a busy week.

The August 2026 Common Council cycle is here, and we’ve released several ways to follow along before next week’s vote.

First, Before Council Presents: One Question is now available, featuring separate long-form conversations with Common Council Members Lisa Weston, Gary Padesky, and Erin Goggin about how they were approaching the proposed charter ordinance establishing a city administrator position.

We also released the August Meeting Companions for both the Judiciary & Administration Committee and Finance & Personnel Committee, making the full available committee audio easier to listen to on the go.

And now, Season 1, Episode 3 of Before Council is live on Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6APBOGVtAZB6L5gMl6zbcz?si=EEBqgeTEQB697XAlk7mNNg&utm_source=copy-link

In this episode, Mac Kiel and Tony Ayala walk through the J&A and F&P agenda items, discuss what happened in committee, and highlight what residents should know before the August Common Council meeting scheduled for August 13 at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Please listen, share, and pass it along to anyone who wants an easier way to follow what’s happening at City Hall.

Know Before the Vote.

Before Council · Episode

08/06/2026

Introducing Before Council Presents: One Question.

This new long-form series begins with separate conversations featuring La Crosse Common Council Members Lisa Weston, Gary Padesky, and Erin Goggin.

Each council member was invited to join host and La Crosse resident Tony Ayala in the studio individually and asked the same central question:

How are you approaching the proposed city administrator charter ordinance?

The goal was not simply to ask how they planned to vote. It was to better understand what information they were gathering, what questions they were asking, and how they were working through a significant decision facing the City of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

These conversations were recorded during July, before later public statements and before the August J&A and F&P committee meetings. They are a snapshot of each council member’s perspective at that moment.

These are not debates, endorsements, or campaign events.

They are an opportunity to hear directly from the people elected to represent us in a longer format, beyond a soundbite or final vote.

All three episodes are available now on Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Listen here:
www.justgoodfight.com/before-council

Lisa Weston - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gIAbGg8c9L7chcyPCcmzQ?si=gBZvf8s0SD-HpFhjLdc9tw&utm_source=copy-link

Gary Padesky - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SpPdqXcI5RRb7Iwt6Pldd?si=knQJX9DaSxS6nt9llv7Iiw&utm_source=copy-link

Erin Goggin - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ifbUaZg1ylm90nxy8JXQf?si=PMYm8CtOSyy9bp9lEozk-Q&utm_source=copy-link

Three council members.
Three perspectives.
One question.

Know Before the Vote.

07/22/2026

NEXT WEEK…
Next week, Before Council Presents: One Question begins.

So far, two members of the La Crosse Common Council have joined us in the studio for thoughtful, one-on-one conversations about the proposed City Administrator charter ordinance and how they’re approaching one of the most significant decisions currently facing our city.

If the schedules align over the next few days, we’re hopeful we can sit down with one or two more council members before releasing the series.

Hosted by everyday La Crosse resident Tony Ayala, this series isn’t about telling residents what to think. It’s about learning alongside the community. Through these conversations, Tony is seeking clarity, asking the questions many residents have, and gaining a better understanding of how Common Council members gather information, weigh competing viewpoints, and ultimately arrive at decisions that shape our city.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How does my council member approach a decision like this?” this series is for you.

Our goal is to publish every conversation we’ve recorded next week, giving residents time to listen before the proposal is considered by the Judiciary & Administration Committee on August 5, ahead of the August 13 Common Council meeting.

If you’d like to hear your council member’s perspective, consider reaching out and encouraging them to participate. We’d love to give every council member the same opportunity to share how they’re approaching this important decision.

Whether you’ve followed city government for years or are just beginning to pay attention, you’re invited to learn alongside us. Listen, share, ask questions, and become part of the conversation.

Know Before the Vote.

07/16/2026

CITY ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE

Whether you’re in favor of the proposed City Administrator charter ordinance, opposed to it, or simply undecided, one thing remains true:

Now is the time to start getting informed.

Council Member Aron Newberry has published the full text of the proposed City Administrator charter ordinance, along with a detailed explanation of each section and the reasoning behind it.

If you’re interested in understanding the proposal before it reaches the Judiciary & Administration Committee, it’s worth taking a few minutes to read through. Regardless of where you ultimately stand, becoming familiar with the proposal is an important first step.

The charter ordinance is scheduled to be considered by the Judiciary & Administration Committee on Wednesday, August 5, with a potential path to the Common Council on Thursday, August 13.

At Before Council, our goal is simple: help residents understand what’s coming before the vote. We’ll continue sharing resources from a variety of perspectives as they become available and encourage residents to review the proposal, ask questions, and communicate with their Common Council member before any decisions are made.

Read Council Member Newberry’s post here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/inservicelacrosse/p/the-city-administrator-ordinance?r=5vno8q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

An informed opinion starts with an informed resident.

Know Before the Vote.

The full text and a complete explanation of every provision so every resident can be informed before the public comment hearing.