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Council orders voucher line on city tax bill after hours of debate and public testimony
Summary
By a 7–6 vote, the council directed staff to add an informational line to Green Bay property tax bills showing the amount the district levied to cover private school voucher costs; the measure sparked extensive public comment and an hours‑long council debate over school finance and state policy.
The Common Council voted 7–6 to add an informational line to the city—s annual property tax bill indicating the dollar amount the Green Bay Area Public School District levied to cover private school voucher payments.
What the council approved: The line to be added to the informational section of the tax bill reads in effect that the amount levied by GBAPS — $8,991,023.65 for the current cycle — is for private school vouchers (the figure will change year‑to‑year). The information will appear in the city—s informational space on the tax bill; the Department of Revenue previously approved use of that space.
Why it mattered: Supporters said the line increases transparency for taxpayers who asked where education dollars on their tax bills are going. Opponents cautioned that the topic is complex, argued the city was singling out a small program in a large school budget and warned the line could be misleading without broader context. Much of the meeting was devoted to public comment: parents and private school leaders urged caution and explained how voucher families benefit; school district officials and residents asked for straightforward visibility of the amounts levied.
Public testimony: More than a dozen residents and education leaders spoke. Laura McCoy, president of the Green Bay school board, and James Lierly, board vice president, described how school finance and the existing state formulas work and urged that the informational line be accurate and sourced to district figures. Parents who use vouchers urged the council not to frame the issue as an attack on private education, while League of Women Voters members and longtime residents said the public has a right to know the numbers that affect their tax bills.
Council debate and outcome: Councilors split along multiple lines. Supporters emphasized local transparency: "When my constituents ask what portion of their tax goes to this program, I want a clear number," one alder said. Opponents said the school finance formula is complicated and that the state is the proper venue for policy changes such as decoupling. The council ultimately adopted the informational insertion by a narrow majority.
Next steps and limits: City staff will place the item in the informational portion of the 2025 tax bill; the number will be supplied by the school district and will update annually. Councilmembers and several speakers urged state policymakers to consider decoupling and other reforms that affect how voucher funding is handled in state and local accounting.
Votes at a glance: Motion to add voucher levy amount to the tax bill — adopted 7–6.
