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.
What We Stand For
This is what choosing Green Bay looks like in practice.
You keep your word.
You look out for your neighbors.
You invest in the next generation.
We show up and we do the work.
We build something that lasts.
You don’t have to be from here.
You just have to choose here.
Not red. Not blue. All green.
This is the Green Bay Way.
Green Bay doesn’t run on ideology. It runs on people who keep their word, look out for their neighbors, and refuse to leave the next generation worse off than they found it.
You don’t have to be from here. You just have to choose here.
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
Green Bay Way is where Jim continues the same work: sitting down with people who are building this city, asking what a thriving Green Bay looks like in 2035, and listening for 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?
Listen to Green Bay Way, suggest a guest, or share what you think Green Bay needs by 2035.