City of Green Bay emails and documents requested by the Freedom From Religion Foundation reveal that Mayor Jim Schmitt and his staff have planned and coordinated a campaign to bring the pope to Green Bay on city time.
FFRF objected in March to Mayor Schmittās invitation to the pope to āmake a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help,ā which was sent by Schmitt in his capacity as mayor using city letterhead. FFRF subsequently requested public records concerning city involvement in the papal campaign and recently received those records.
Emails reveal that the mayor and the mayorās chief of staff, Andy Rosendahl, planned and coordinated the āPope to Green Bay Initiativeā and organized committee meetings throughout the workday. Emails by city staff show it planned and scheduled weekly āPope to Green Bay Committeeā meetings (dubbed āthe Pope Mobile Committeeā by the mayor), reviewed wording on the popetogreenbay.com website, and created meeting agendas.
On Friday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m., the mayor, using his official email, reported his āvery productive and positive meeting with Bishop Rickenā who āsees this as a true community partnership. He is in full support and gave us his āblessingsā . . . He has committed that the Diocese will be part of the committee. . .ā The mayor signed his email, āBelieve. Pray. Act. Mayor Schmitt.ā
The City of Green Bay Personal Policy Chapter 24.4 requires: āEmployees must maintain a distinction between sharing personal and official City views,ā and requires disclaimers for personal views and opinions, which were not employed by the mayor or his staff.
āGreen Bay taxpayers entrust city employees to conduct government business on paid time ā not the personal religious mission of the mayor. Just as paid staff time may not be used for campaign activity, it is equally inappropriate and unseemly to promote Catholicism and this religious pilgrimage on city time, in violation of the U.S. and Wisconsin Constitutions,ā said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President.
FFRF says the mayor and city staff must cease working on the papal visit during city time using city property, and follow disclaimer policy.