La Crosse committee recommends new city administrator position and data center moratorium

La Crosse's Judiciary and Administration Committee on Wednesday night advanced two significant proposals, including a recommendation for an 18-month moratorium on data center development within the city. The committee voted 3-2 to create a new city administrator position, shifting day-to-day operations and budget management from the mayor, a proposal that previously failed in February.

In a separate and unanimous decision, the committee recommended a moratorium on new data center permits for 18 months while the city studies potential environmental, economic, and health impacts. This temporary halt would apply to facilities capable of storing over 1 petabyte of data or consuming more than 2 megawatts of electricity. Concerns raised include electrical connections, energy demand, electromagnetic fields, noise pollution, impacts on air and water quality, water use, and fire hazards.

La Crosse is aligning with La Crosse County, which enacted its own 18-month data center moratorium in unincorporated areas in June 2026. La Crosse city officials plan to participate in the county's ad hoc committee, which is tasked with studying data centers and developing recommendations for county leadership. The city intends to use this collaborative effort to develop its own regulatory standards.

Both the proposed city administrator position and the data center moratorium will proceed to the full Common Council for final votes on Thursday, August 13, at 6 p.m. If approved, the moratorium would take immediate effect and remain until the city council adopts amendments to the zoning code or rescinds the measure.