The Green Bay Way
How a city actually builds prosperity—and why it matters.
What Is The Green Bay Way?
Economic growth isn’t about chasing big promises. It’s about showing up.
For 16 years as Mayor of Green Bay, Jim Schmitt proved that a mid-sized American city can grow and thrive—but only if leaders actually listen to their community. Through conversation with business owners, nonprofit leaders, city officials, and neighbors, Jim grew Green Bay’s assessed property value from $4 billion to $6 billion+, and added $30 million in new property tax base.
That’s not theory. That’s results.
Five Pillars:
- Accessibility over authority
- Fiscal responsibility + growth (not either/or)
- Conversation as the primary tool
- Continuous improvement, always iterative
- Community first, extraction never
16 Years of Results
What happened when a city committed to listening:
Economic Growth
- Grew assessed property value from $4B to $6B+
- Added $30M in new property tax base
- Recruited Fortune 500 companies downtown (Schreiber Foods, Associated Bank)
Fiscal Responsibility
- Held tax rate steady for 5 consecutive years
- Reduced employee count by 10% through efficiencies
- Managed $100M+ annual budget within state-imposed levy limits
Community Engagement
- Attended 500+ community events every year (personally, not delegated)
- Instituted “Minute with the Mayor” weekly updates
- Built Veterans Affairs Clinic & NEW Community Shelter
Local Leadership Is The Most Important Leadership
The decisions that affect your daily life are local. Your street maintenance. Your neighborhood safety. Whether City Hall listens when you call. Whether your water bill is transparent or buried in accounting tricks. Whether your property value grows or stagnates.
National politics get the headlines. But local government is where citizens actually have power—and where leaders can either show up or hide.
The Green Bay Way is rooted in a simple belief: good governance happens when leaders listen more than they talk, when they measure success by results instead of spin, and when they treat taxpayer money like it’s their own.
The Conversation Continues
Through Lean Local, Jim continues the same work—asking Green Bay residents what a thriving city actually looks like, listening to the people building it, and sharing what actually works.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a commitment to understanding Green Bay’s future through the people who are building it, one conversation at a time.
Want to Be Part of This Conversation?
Lean Local airs weekly. You can listen, suggest a guest, or share your thoughts about Green Bay’s future.