GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay’s mayor appears to be asking two members of the city’s police and fire commission to resign.
An email sent by the Green Bay police and fire commission president and obtained by FOX 11 says it has nothing to do with their job performance.
It says Mayor Eric Genrich would like commissioners Nancy Schopf and Vanya Koepke to resign because they don’t live in Green Bay’s city limits.
“I was surprised,” said Koepke.
Former Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt appointed him to a five-year term on the city’s police and fire commission in July of 2018.
“Recently I received a memo from the president of the police and fire commission that he received from the chief of staff from the Mayor asking for me to resign given that I had moved outside of city limits,” said Koepke.
In the email, police and fire commission president Rod Goldhahn says he wants to emphasize the resignation request is based on residency philosophy and not on any performance concerns.
It also says Mayor Genrich firmly believes boards and commissions of the City of Green Bay should be comprised of city residents.
Koepke tells FOX 11 he believes the request is unreasonable without a residency requirement.
“Other boards and commissions in the city they have those individuals who live outside of the city who have been appointed and they have not been asked to resign.”
But in the email, Goldhahn says he believes Mayor Genrich and his staff are reviewing the status of other city board members and making appointments to reflect that philosophy.
Kopeke still doesn’t agree with the Mayor’s preference.
“The logic isn’t there. There is no state statute or local ordinance requiring residency. Our firefighters our police officers are not required to live in the city.”
And that’s true. Green Bay police say officers can live in surrounding communities.
The president of the commission adds in the email, the Mayor and his staff are working on a residency requirement proposal to bring to the City Council for future appointments.
