Green Bay: Your bills keep going up.
We are organizing concerned residents to educate their neighbors, improve public policy at the local level, and lessen our tax burden. Are you in?
Green Bay's economic uncertainties by the numbers
Green Bay's economic challenges are real and persistent. Here is the data behind the local failures.
The median annual property tax bill for Green Bay homeowners. $826 above the national median.
The projected Green Bay school district deficit for the 2027-28 school year, driven by the expiration of a $16.5 million referendum, declining enrollment, and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation for over a decade.
The increase in Green Bay's assessed property tax rate for 2025, on top of a 3.4% city levy increase already proposed for 2026, meaning Green Bay homeowners face two consecutive years of rising bills with more likely on the way.
The poverty rate in Green Bay, more than 2 points above the national rate of 12.2%. In a city where nearly 1 in 7 residents struggles to get by, consecutive tax increases and a looming school funding crisis fall hardest on those with the least.
What's Driving It
Policy Failures
A District Built on Financial Sand
The Green Bay school district has relied on a $16.5 million annual operating referendum since 2017 and on tens of millions in federal pandemic relief funds to stay afloat. Both are running out. When the referendum expires in 2027-28, the district faces a projected $24 to $32 million deficit. Rather than pressing the state for structural funding reform, district leaders have already signaled they will ask Green Bay voters to approve a new, larger referendum, passing the cost directly to local property taxpayers.
A State That Punishes Fiscal Responsibility
The Green Bay superintendent said it plainly: the state's revenue limits penalize districts that were conservative with their spending. Green Bay is locked in at $11,000 per student while other districts receive up to $20,000. A decade of flat state funding and rising inflation has squeezed the district from both sides, and rather than fixing the formula, the state has left cities like Green Bay to solve the problem on their own, at taxpayer expense.
Back-to-Back City Tax Hikes
The City of Green Bay approved a 4.7% increase in the assessed tax rate for 2025, and the mayor's proposed 2026 budget adds a 3.4% levy increase along with $2.3 million in new debt service payments. City leaders have openly acknowledged that major structural investments still lie ahead, including a new police headquarters, suggesting further increases are coming. Green Bay families have absorbed these hikes without any corresponding commitment from city leaders to cap spending or hold the line on taxes.
We Need Leaders Like You
Communities like yours need leaders to change children's outcomes. They're protected by driven residents who show up, speak out, and take action.
Education
Learn how the local government functions, how to speak at community events and to board members directly.
Connection
Connect with a growing network of neighbors who share your concerns and are ready to stand together and demand change.
Action
Get practical tools to participate in school board and other city government meetings, submit public comments, and hold local officials accountable.
Support
Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who've successfully driven change across Green Bay and other parts of Wisconsin.
Are You In?
Submit your information and our team will personally reach out to you.
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