“My goal is to continue to carefully steward our public funding, while helping to support important county programs”
Lanae Nickelotti has been appointed as the new La Crosse County Finance Director, replacing Sharon Davidson, who has retired.
Nickelotti grew up in rural Vernon County and is a graduate of Westby High School. She joined the county as a Senior Internal Auditor in 2016, eventually becoming the county’s Deputy Finance Director. Nickelotti’s previous roles include working as an auditor for the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, and as a Senior Accountant for Johnson Block & Company, Inc., in Viroqua.
“She has just an excellent and stellar background in finance,” La Crosse County Administrator Steve O’Malley said, adding that Nickelotti had worked to implement efficiencies across departments that have strengthened the county’s balance sheet.
Nickelotti has a degree in Accounting and Finance with a minor in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Before moving to La Crosse County, she served for a term as a trustee for the Village of Coon Valley, gaining insight into public finances from the perspective of an elected official.
Nickelotti said she also gained invaluable knowledge from Davidson and will build off the “solid accounting foundation” established by the outgoing director. She will take over at a time when the county is in a strong position financially. The county’s 2022 budget cuts the county property tax rate and will reduce the county’s overall debt.
Nickelotti says she wants to prioritize clear communication with the county board and the public on the county’s finances and how they function. For example, she said one popular misconception is the extent to which the county relies on property taxes to fund its budget.
The county will use property tax revenue to fund just under 20% of its budget in 2022, the lowest percentage and lowest total property tax for any county of comparable size in Wisconsin. State and federal funding, user fees plus sales tax revenue, contribute most of the remaining funding. The county must also work within property tax levy limits set by state statute. La Crosse County has the 5th lowest total tax levy per capita of all 72 Wisconsin Counties.
The levy limits, plus working through regulations that come with outside funding, add complexity to Nickelotti’s new role, but she’s confident in her team and enjoys solving problems. She wants to continue to push the county to act strategically, rather than reactively, in planning its spending.
“I think we’ve done a lot of creative things through collaboration and innovation to really stretch our dollars,” Nickelotti said. “My goal is to continue to carefully steward our public funding, while helping to support important county programs.”
Nickelotti’s appointment was approved by the La Crosse County Board at its Dec. 6 meeting. Learn more about the county’s Finance Department and view county budgets and financial reports here: lacrossecounty.org/finance/.