Green Bay's Common Council is set to vote on an ordinance that would force owners of vacant commercial buildings to register their properties with the city and pay renewal fees that climb as high as $4,000 a year, a plan that traces back to one long-empty paintball and laser tag facility that has drawn complaints from neighbors.
The proposal requires property owners to register any vacant building with the city within 60 days of it going empty. Initial registration carries no fee, but owners must renew by January 31 each year, with the cost rising from $500 in the first year to $4,000 in year four and beyond, according to FOX 11. Owners who fail to register at all could face daily fines ranging from $250 to $5,000.
The idea started with a single eyesore. District 6 Alder Joey Prestley asked city staff in early June to draft a vacant property registry after fielding complaints about a former paintball and laser tag building sitting empty at Irwin Avenue and Reber Street, according to Fox Watershed. Prestley has said some vacant buildings could be contributing to the community but simply are not, and that the proposed fees are meant to nudge owners toward finally addressing continued vacancy.
A Narrow Council Split From the Start
The push to draft the ordinance was never unanimous. In June, the Common Council voted 6–5 to direct city staff to draft the policy, with Jennifer Grant opposed. That tight margin signals the ordinance could face a close final vote as well, with opponents on the council previously raising concerns that escalating fees could hurt property owners dealing with financial or personal hardship.
The ordinance does build in exemptions. Buildings marketed for sale or lease for up to 12 months, those under construction or rehabilitation, properties needing casualty repairs, buildings owned by someone on active military deployment, and properties tied up in legal proceedings would all be excused from fees. Even exempt owners, however, must still register their properties, and the dossier notes that exemptions require active proof of sale or rehabilitation but do not excuse the initial registration requirement.
Real Estate Industry Pushes Back
Not everyone thinks the registry is necessary. Speaking at a city committee meeting, Jennifer Sunstrom, director of public relations and government affairs for the Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin, argued the draft ordinance effectively makes owning a vacant commercial property illegal, and said existing municipal building codes, fire inspection rules, and nuisance ordinances already regulate neglected structures, according to Fox Watershed. Bill Morgan has echoed that view, agreeing that current ordinances can already address vacant-property issues and arguing owners should be allowed to maintain their own properties so long as they comply with the rules already on the books.
Green Bay Economic Development Director Cheryl Renier-Wigg has acknowledged a practical limitation even if the ordinance passes: enforcement would likely be complaint-based, since the city does not have dedicated staff to actively locate and monitor every empty commercial building, according to Fox Watershed. That means buildings that neighbors never report could potentially sit outside the registry and its fee structure altogether.
How Other Wisconsin Cities Handle Vacancy
Green Bay would not be breaking entirely new ground. At least five Wisconsin municipalities already have ordinances similar to what's being proposed, per FOX 11's reporting. Janesville set up its own vacant building registry back in 2018, requiring a $200 fee and a designated caretaker within 90 miles so police and fire officials can reach a responsible party during an emergency, according to GazetteXtra, which reported that the registry listed 101 properties, some with out-of-state bank owners.
The Economics Behind Escalating Fees
Fox Watershed has characterized Green Bay's climbing fee structure as a small cousin of Georgism. Wisconsin's state constitution limits full land-value taxation, which is part of why cities have turned to fee-based alternatives instead. The University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs report discusses vacancy policy and the impacts of vacant properties.
Wisconsin's commercial property tax base also faces debate over the so-called dark store loophole, in which operating retailers challenge their property tax assessments by arguing their active stores should be valued as if they were empty buildings, according to the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
The Green Bay Common Council is expected to take up the final vote starting Tuesday, with FOX 11 reporting it will cover the outcome on air and online once a decision is made.
