Green Bay City Council approves diversity coordinator, tax rate increase in 2020 budget despite resistance

GREEN BAY - The approval Tuesday of a new diversity coordinator for Green Bay revealed deep divisions among officials torn between balancing a tight budget and promoting a diverse workforce in City Hall.

The Green Bay City Council narrowly voted to include the position in the city's 2020 budget, which increases tax rates 3.3%.

The diversity coordinator, formerly a human resources assistant, will earn more than the assistant, but the city won't hire anyone until May to ensure it doesn't affect next year's bottom line. The position will cost over $65,000 with benefits in 2020.

Proponents argued the coordinator will help the city attract employees and promote better outreach to minority communities across Green Bay. Alderwoman Veronica Corpus-Dax, who is the only person of color on City Council, said increased diversity in the community hasn't translated to city staff or government.

She also noted that people still treat her like an outsider even though she's lived in Green Bay for decades.

"It’s easy to say it’s not (a need) when you’re not on the other side," Corpus-Dax said. 

The discussion became heated as some argued the position is unnecessary and others said it shouldn't be filled in a difficult budget year. Alderman Brian Johnson was among five council members to vote against it, saying he supports the concept but believes the city has other spending priorities for 2020.

"You can try to say that you support this concept, but if you vote against this position tonight, it's very clear that you do not," Mayor Eric Genrich retorted.

RELATED: What you need to know about Green Bay's 2020 budget

RELATED: Green Bay residents could see largest tax hike since 2008 as city proposes budget

The budget passed 7-5. It increases the tax rate to $9.46 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value — a penny more than what Genrich proposed to fully fund a 2% cost-of-living increase for employees. That means the owner of a $150,000 home will pay $45 more to fund city services than they did this year.

Residents also will pay nearly $26 more per year to the storm water utility — a charge that appears on water bills — because of increased expenses and a decision to shift a majority of forestry funding from the property tax levy to utility bills. Officials will finalize storm water utility rates at a later date. 

Additionally, Green Bay will have a new coordinator of city resilience in 2020 to help the city respond to flooding and explore sustainability initiatives like green infrastructure. This comes after greater Green Bay saw record rainfall and damaging floods this year.

The city won't determine the salary for this position until early next year, according to Finance Director Diana Ellenbecker, but it will be funded through the storm water utility and grants.

Other budget highlights:

• Police will receive $1 million more than they did in 2019 in part to pay for five additional positions, leaving the department nine short of what it considers a full staff.
• The fire department will leave three job openings vacant to save money.
• The mayor's salary will increase 6.2% to $91,445 based on a pay raise the City Council approved in 2018.

"We had to make some difficult choices, but I think this puts us in a much stronger position for the future," Genrich said after Tuesday's meeting. 

Property tax bills will be mailed to residents on Dec. 6. The first payments are due Jan. 31.

How they voted

Approved: Veronica Corpus-Dax, Barb Dorff, Bill Galvin, Kathy Lefebvre, Randy Scannell, Mark Steuer, Craig Stevens

Opposed: Jesse Brunette, Brian Johnson, Andy Nicholson, John VanderLeest, Chris Wery

Calculate your city taxes for 2020

1. (Assessed value of your home or property) divided by $1,000

2. (Total from No. 1) multiplied by $9.46

Contact Haley BeMiller at 920-431-8212 or hbemiller@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @haleybemiller.