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LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — La Crosse’s Finance Committee voted 5-1 Thursday to recommend spending an additional $90,000 to appeal the Village of French Island’s incorporation, a decision state officials approved this spring.
The proposal now heads to the Common Council for consideration. The city has already spent $95,000 fighting the incorporation and is pursuing a legal appeal of the state’s approval.
The Common Council previously voted in April to appeal the incorporation decision. The proposal requests funding from the city’s Contingency Fund to support the legal challenge.
La Crosse officials have opposed the incorporation, arguing the village is too small and financially unstable to operate independently. The city’s legal challenge comes after residents in the Village of French Island elected their first village government in July following a referendum vote in May approving the incorporation.
Village officials say the incorporation prevents future annexation from the City of La Crosse and preserves the community’s identity.
The Common Council will make the final decision on whether to approve the additional $90,000 in spending for the legal appeal.
​COPYRIGHT 2026 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.