GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt delivered is 14th state of the city address Wednesday night.
The hour long event took place at the Meyer Theater.
Schmitt says retaining and recruiting talented people has to be a focus for the coming year because experts project the community will grow at a rate of less than one percent.
"We can double the expert's projections if we can bring our partnerships together and get the word out that Green Bay is a place for talented people to live, work, and play."
The mayor highlighted many accomplishments of the city saying it's financially strong.
"Green Bay hasn't raised taxes in 5 years and has held true to a tax rate of $8.86 per thousand," said Schmitt. "A 134,000 home pays $1,200 annually in taxes that's for all city services, parks, police, fire, DPW, and the list goes on."
Schmitt gave high praise to the police department for keeping the city safe and crime low.
"Violent crime, property crime, and theft are all down. With our hard working men and women of the police department, we're implementing new strategies and reaching out to the community."
He also mentioned that the city is planning to move forward with recommendations for a new public safety building which would be home to the police and fire department administration.
The mayor also didn't shy away from the controversial topic of the Hotel Northland project saying the city needs to stay focused.
"We've got a signed term sheet from a senior lender. We've got to do some things and make some agreements but if we stay focused and keep our eye on the ball, we can get this opened."
Despite all the challenges and hurdles surrounding it, Schmitt thinks the redevelopment can still open before the end of the year.
Green Bay's mayor reiterated the importance of sharing the city's story with others.
"We'll grow our city together by telling and bragging about our story, Green Bay's story. With social media, we're all Green Bay's marketing department," said Schmitt.
He plans on helping with that mission. Starting next week, Schmitt is starting a new video segment on the city's social media call "A Minute with the Mayor."
To learn more about the city of Green Bay, go to greenbaywi.gov.