A proposed hotel in Monroe County has two cities and one congressmen fighting over what's best for the military, and what's best for local businesses.

Fort McCoy is home to thousands of troops and when those troops have visitors, hotels in Tomah and Sparta make big bucks.

"The economic impact of Fort McCoy is very big to this community, especially right now with the military staying in the hotels," says Greg Evans, president of the Sparta Chamber of Commerce.

But a plan to build a new on-base hotel and amusement park is stalled as the Sparta city council and the Chamber of Commerce try and figure out how to make sure other hotels don't suffer.

"They need five letters of recommendation. They need the Tomah City, Tomah Chamber, Sparta City, Sparta Chamber and then they need Ron Kind."

Evans says he and the chamber aren't against new business in the area but he says there are already several hotels in both cities.

"Sparta is very pro business and we would like to invite any business to our community."

John Rusch, the Tomah city administrator, says the troops come first in his city, not the mighty dollar.

"Why do you have a military base? You have a military base to train troops... well, part of that training is morale," says Rusch.

He says the hotel would be privately-built, owned, and run and any company would have a chance to bid on the project. He says today's troops need more entertainment and the hotel is a good idea.

"Let's say we're 18-, 19-year-old military and we're stationed out there and you don't have a car and you're on base and you can't get off base. Well what do you have to do?"

The new hotel may have hit a wall but Evans says it isn't off the table yet.

"I do realize how important Fort McCoy is,” comments Evans. “It's the backbone of our community and we need to support Fort McCoy also."

The Sparta Chamber of Commerce will meet next week to vote on the hotel proposal.