La Crosse, WI Government Employees Rake in Generous Salaries and Lavish, Gold-Plated Pensions

Click here to view the City of La Crosse, WI’s top 25 government salaries and estimated pensions.
Click here to view La Crosse County, WI government school’s top salaries and estimated pensions.
Click here to view UW- La Crosse’s top 100 salaries and estimated pensions.
LA CROSSE–A report released today by Taxpayers United of America (TUA) reveals that government employees of the City of La Crosse, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and La Crosse government schools are receiving very generous salaries and that their estimated pension benefits in many cases will be larger than salaries in the private sector.
“On top of that, La Crosse County has violated state law by refusing a FOIA request TUA placed months ago,” said Christina Tobin, TUA Vice President, “making them the only entity in the state of Wisconsin to do so.”
“At the top of the Top 100 UW La Crosse salaries is Joseph Gow, who pulls in an annual salary of $197,808. The state refuses to release figures relating to pensions, and I condemn this lack of transparency, the public has the right to access pension information they have paid for. On the basis of the figures that were released, Gow’s future annual pension including Social Security is estimated to start at a very sumptuous $164,466.”
“The second-highest salary and benefits of the Top 100 UW La Crosse salaries and pensions go to William Colclough with an annual salary of $155,034. His estimated future pension, including Social Security, is a whopping $134,524.”
“Gerald Kember of the La Crosse school district pulls in an annual salary of $144,761, and an estimated future pension including Social Security of $127,333 a year. Fringe benefits, which can include retirement contributions and social security taxes, are $53,161, every cent of which is paid for by taxpayers.”
“For the city of La Crosse’s Top 25 salaries and pensions, Dale Hexom, Director of Public Works, received 2010 W2 wages of $99,359, and his pension, including Social Security, is estimated to start at $94,065 a year. Police Chief Edward Kondracki received an annual salary of $98,255, and his pension including Social Security is estimated to start at $93,177.”
“Wisconsin’s pension system is making multimillionaires out of government employees at taxpayer expense,” said Tobin. “With today’s report, we are shining the spotlight on the runaway government employee benefits that Gov. Scott Walker has attempted to bring under control.”
“The citizens of WI spoke loud and clear last November that they wanted to change the way government works in Wisconsin. The purpose of government is not to create rich government employees.”
Click here to view this news release as a PDF.