GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A Green Bay alderman discusses the reason he made comments about Mayor Jim Schmitt and Alderman Guy Zima’s ongoing feud, prior to Tuesday night’s vote on the Shipyard project.
Alderman Joe Moore called that rivalry a ‘dumpster fire.’
“The relationship that Alderman Zima and the mayor have has been a hindrance to us getting our jobs done the right way. We need to keep this stuff out of the council chambers and focus on city business. It’s become a spectacle.”
Moore explains why he choose to do so at that particular meeting.
“(The Shipyard) was a very monumental project. There’s going to be a lot of development that spurs off of this, and that’s where the focus needed to be. I think that just about every meeting, you saw Alderman Zima and the mayor going at each other.”
While Zima was not present, having been excused from the meeting, Moore says he spoke with Schmitt after it ended, noting the two were quite civil with one another.
“Outside of City Hall, I consider the mayor my friend, but at the same time, I have to put my alderman hat on, and nobody gets a pass.”
Moore says it is up to Schmitt to define his own legacy in the 16 months before he leaves office.
He also suggests Zima not run for re-election in the spring, following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, Schmitt released a statement Wednesday apologizing for a comment where he compared Zima to Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who has recently been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women.
Schmitt says he should have handled his differences with Zima in a more professional manner.
