Green Bay mayor forum: 5 things to know as Eric Genrich and Chad Weininger meet, share stage for first time in campaign
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GREEN BAY - Mayor Eric Genrich and challenger Chad Weininger met head to head Thursday for the first – and so far only – scheduled meeting of the campaign for the mayor's office ahead of the April 4 election.
The candidates forum at Franklin Middle School included discussion of Genrich's authorization of audio recording equipment in public areas of City Hall's first- and second-floor hallways.
Audio recordings at City Hall debated
Genrich, 43, who is completing his first term as mayor, previously called the presence of recording equipment a safety measure, saying the equipment protects city employees and members of the public against falls or physical violence, because it can be seen by supervisors in a key office in the police station.
Weininger, 51, Brown County's director of administration, framed the issue as his supporters on Green Bay City Council had done: that the equipment was installed to eavesdrop on city employees and was a violation of privacy.
The audio recording devices "should be removed" Weininger said at Thursday's forum. "At the county, we have 'duress buttons' … not just listening devices. … I think it could have been handled better."
Genrich seemed to be accusing Weininger of hypocrisy, saying that people who've been critical of Genrich about the recording devices have ties to Weininger's campaign, according to financial statements the campaign filed with the city clerk's office.
The City Council last week voted to remove the audio recording equipment from City Hall and gave authority for those decisions to the council, whereas before the mayor could decide.
More:Green Bay lawyer identified as 'Jane Doe' in court battle over recording of audio inside City Hall
The hourlong event, organized by the League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay and moderated by former Green Bay School Board member Jean Marsch, found a few points of agreement between the candidates, but disagreement was far more common.
Early point of disagreement: Green Bay Police Department staffing
In a response to one of the first questions posed, Genrich said he has increased the police department budget by about 13% in his four years in office. Weininger, however, argued Genrich has cut police staffing by seven positions.
Dispute in answers to a question about how each would avoid future property-tax hikes
Weininger said the city would need to change attitudes and "focus on key issues" on which the city has recently lost ground to Ashwaubenon, Hobart and Howard in terms of percentage growth of property values.
"We are great at announcing all these things," Weininger said, referring to development in the city, but not so great at getting them done.
Genrich countered that Weininger has talked about taxes "a bit dishonestly," calling him the architect of Brown County's 0.5% sales tax program that generates revenue, but makes county consumers pay more for goods they purchase.
"He needs to stand behind that," Genrich said of the plan. An overwhelming majority of the 26-member County Board supported extended the term of the sales tax into the year 2037.
Different opinions about how many people live in the city of Green Bay
Weininger said the city actually lost population in the U.S. census count conducted in 2020, and "we need to build more density" of population — and provide for more "market-rate housing."
The mayor called him on his math skills, saying the city "had increased from 103,000 (residents) to 107,000." Signs at entrances to the city say the population is slightly more than 107,000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Green Bay's population increased from 104,057 on April 1, 2010, to 107,395 on April 1, 2020.
Response to the opioid epidemic
The candidates agreed that the city should push back against fentanyl and other illegal opioid drugs blamed for several deaths in the past year in the city, which Genrich said "is not something that can be addressed by one entity or another."
Weininger said the city dropped the ball by missing an opportunity to get more money to fight the opioid epidemic by failing to join other cities in the battle.
Email Doug Schneider at DSchneid@Gannett.com, call him at (920) 265-2070 and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay mayor forum: What to know as Genrich, Weininger share stage
