How Green Bay Gets Things Done
August 17, 2026
Putting term limits on the ballot
The clearest test of public-service rhetoric is what happens when the rule applies to the person making it.
In 2018, the Green Bay City Council voted 7–6 to put term limits for elected officials before voters. Mayor Jim Schmitt broke the tie.
The referendum asked whether the mayor, alderpersons, and municipal court judges should be limited to twelve consecutive years in office.
Later that year, Schmitt said he would not seek another term. He said that, after helping put the twelve-year limit before voters, it could be disingenuous to run again.
Why this still matters
Institutional rules matter most when the people in office accept that those rules apply to them too.