Jim Schmitt

Elections

In the nonpartisan mayoral election of April 2003, Schmitt succeeded Paul Jadin, who did not seek re-election, becoming the mayor of Green Bay.^[8] He was re-elected in 2007 with approximately 70% of the vote, and again in 2011.^[7] On February 17, 2015, Schmitt received 51 percent of the vote in a three-way primary,^[9] and defeated Tom DeWane in the general election, 53% to 47%.^[10] With this victory, Schmitt extended his tenure to 16 years and overtook Sam Halloin as the longest-serving mayor in Green Bay history.^[1] Under Wisconsin law, mayoral elections are conducted on a nonpartisan basis.

Governance and accomplishments

During Schmitt's 16-year tenure, downtown Green Bay underwent major redevelopment, with investments estimated at more than $250 million.^[1] Projects completed during his administration included the CityDeck riverwalk, the expansion of the KI Convention Center, the Schreiber Foods corporate office, Associated Bank's corporate headquarters, the Green Bay Children's Museum, the Nicolet Bank headquarters, and the restoration of Hotel Northland.^[1][11] Bay Beach Amusement Park added the Zippin Pippin wooden roller coaster, relocated from Memphis, Tennessee, in 2011.^[12] During his tenure, the city's assessed property value grew from approximately $4 billion to more than $6 billion.^[7]

Schmitt opposed a proposed Walmart supercenter on the former Larsen Green site in the Broadway District; the rezoning was rejected by the Common Council.^[1] The city also helped establish more than 35 neighborhood associations.^[12][7]

In 2011, the Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial board named Schmitt its Person of the Year, citing the city's positioning for growth.^[13]

Public health initiatives

In 2015, the City of Green Bay partnered with the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention under its "Move with the Mayor" national initiative, launching a program of midday walks led by the mayor to encourage physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention awareness.^[14] The program continued under Schmitt's successor.^[14]

Campaign finance investigation

In January 2015, Green Bay city council Aldermen Chris Wery, Guy Zima, and Andy Nicholson alleged that Schmitt had accepted as much as $10,000 in illegal donations for his mayoral campaign.^[15] Schmitt contended that the errors were unintentional and handed his records over to the Brown County District Attorney and the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to be audited.^[16] Due to a potential conflict of interest, the Brown County District Attorney turned the records over to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.^[16]

In September 2016, Schmitt agreed to plead guilty as part of a plea agreement to three misdemeanor charges, including false statements to an election official, accepting campaign contributions not belonging to the reported contributor, and accepting campaign contributions in excess of state limits. He was subsequently convicted on these criminal charges and sentenced to a monetary forfeiture and community service.^[17]

It was found that 17 individuals had donated more than the $1,040 contribution limit, and there were two corporate donations, which are illegal under state election laws.^[18]

On February 20, 2017, the Common Council held a vote on the removal of Schmitt over campaign finance violations. While a majority of the 12 member board voted for removal, 9 votes were necessary to remove the mayor from office. As only 8 voted for removal, he retained his seat by one vote.^[19]

In 2017, seven City Council members signed a letter stating their disapproval of the conduct of one of Schmitt's accusers, Alderman Chris Wery, who used his bank job to pry into an opponent's financial records.^[20]