Communities and organizations that succeed are strong from top to bottom. They are given direction and guidance by thoughtful individuals in leadership roles, and they are sustained and enriched by the active participation of all people. Green Bay’s next mayor must be capable of creating a vision of our community’s future within which all can see ourselves.
Here’s mine:
There are obvious divisions in our city, and they’ve gotten deeper in recent years. It is our task to close those divides, to seek consensus but to be content with differences when they occur. A strong city is governed by a professional and forward-looking council and a dedicated, open, optimistic mayor. The legislators and the executive have a shared role to lead this community, to make policy, to listen to and represent the citizenry. They must carry out these responsibilities together, in the spirit of respect and cooperation.
Our city and our culture needs to be open, vibrant, and always evolving and advancing. We must make space for all people and ideas to flourish. Green Bay needs to be a place that is attractive to talent of all kinds and people of all ages and backgrounds, one that is propelled by and responsive to new voices. At the same time, we cannot afford to lose touch with the values and culture that built this community, our faith traditions and charitable impulses.
Life is about limits, living within them and pushing their boundaries. We must understand our fiscal, our temporal, our natural constraints. While respecting these limits, we must renew a commitment to investing in Green Bay’s people, places, and things.
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Our residents: young, old, and in-between
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Our parks, streets, and public spaces
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Our city’s transportation infrastructure, technology, and natural resources
A thriving community is one in which all residents feel a connection to their fellow citizens and to their public servants. It is a place where they feel their voice is heard and their concerns are addressed. That is the city we must be creating.