Jim Hutchison launches Brown County Board write-in campaign against Andy Nicholson over campaign ad

GREEN BAY - Green Bay City Council member Jim Hutchison launched a late write-in challenge against Brown County Board member Andy Nicholson, who sent out an campaign ad that Hutchison called "misinformation."

Hutchison and Nicholson already are vying for a two-year term representing District 2 on the Green Bay City Council, a rematch of the 2022 election that Hutchison won. Hutchison said the council campaign ad Nicholson mailed to voters last week ignored details and stretched facts to depict Hutchison as "too extreme" to serve on the City Council.

"He said I’m anti-women’s rights and pro-sex trafficking. That’s not right. That’s not what you do. That’s not what I said," Hutchison told the Press-Gazette. "It’s just not right. It’s gone too far. We shouldn’t have this misinformation going on."

Hutchison in response filed a declaration as a write-in candidate for Nicholson's Brown County Board District 3 seat for which Nicholson is running unopposed, the Brown County Clerk's office confirmed. Hutchison also filed a campaign finance amendment with the Green Bay City Clerk's office that waives his pledge to not raise or spend more than $2,500 on his campaign.

Hutchison knows he likely won't win Brown County Board seat

With a week to go until Election Day, Hutchison acknowledged there's likely no way he will oust Nicholson, but said he wants to try to send a message to Nicholson regarding the campaign tactics.

"If I could get 50 or 100 votes just to say, 'Andy, you're doing it wrong,' I'd be happy," Hutchison said.

Hutchison, his family members and supportive volunteers spent the weekend knocking on doors and dropping off fliers at some of the 300 addresses Hutchison identified as part of county's District 3. He's also ordered yard signs highlighting how to write him in for County Board.

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What does Andy Nicholson's ad say about his opponent Jim Hutchison?

Nicholson did not return interview requests to discuss both the mailer in greater detail and Hutchison's entry to the county race.

The ad mailed out late last week to City Council District 2 voters on Green Bay's east side indicates it was paid for by Nicholson. The ad puts the words "Too Extreme" over a picture of Hutchison next to a list of items marked with red triangles. The list claims Hutchison voted against a human trafficking ordinance, to defund the police and to increase taxes 13% and the he didn't fulfill a campaign pledge to fix roads.

The opposite side says Nicholson, a former City Council member, opposes human trafficking, fought against a property tax increase, champions "deportation of illegal criminals," supports law enforcement, funded Brown County roads and voted to cut the tax rate.

Hutchison said some votes used to label him as too extreme ignore key details or explanations of why he voted the way he did.

"If you read or listen, you’ll understand why I did what I did," Hutchison said.

Here's a closer look at each claim in Nicholson's ad, Hutchison's responses and some relevant research and details to help assess the candidates' claims.

Hutchison backed intent of massage establishment ordinance, cited impact on licensed massage therapists for no vote

The attack ad said Hutchison voted no on the city's "Human Trafficking Ordinance that will stop the exploitation of women and children in the sex trades."

The City Council has not enacted a human trafficking ordinance, but on Aug. 22 voted 11-1 to adopt an ordinance that requires massage establishments to get a license. The ordinance's backers wanted to address complaints of prostitution from massage businesses on Military Avenue and beliefs human trafficking has occurred in Green Bay. But the area's state-licensed massage therapists raised concerns about the undue impact the ordinance would have on their work as health care professionals.

During the Aug. 22 discussion, Hutchison said he agreed with the ordinance's intent to "find the bad actors and root them out," but voted against it because of the harm it caused legitimate, trained massage therapists.

"We really want to get the bad actors off the street, but in the process we lost sight of the good actors," Hutchison said.

Tax increases claims focus on Green Bay's total budget, not taxes

Nicholson's ad claims Hutchison "voted to increase city taxes by over 13% and supported citywide tax assessment making it harder for us to afford to live with high inflation." Nicholson cites the 2023 and 2024 city budgets as a source.

The last two budgets show total city expenditures increased from $116.4 million in 2022 to $132.5 million in 2024, a 13.7% increase in total city spending, not the city taxes. The property tax levy, the amount of property tax the city collects, increased from $62.7 million to $68 million, an 8.5% increase.

Wisconsin Department of Revenue state statutes require all municipalities to undertake a revaluation when assessed property values vary from market values by 10% or more. Green Bay was at 90.1% in 2019 and fell out of compliance beginning in 2020, so the city undertook the revaluation in 2022. Hutchison said the revaluation process was in place by the time he was first elected to the City Council in 2022 and took no vote on it.

"I had no chance to give a voice to it. How am I supposed to stop that?" he said.

Defunding the police and illegal immigration

Nicholson claims Hutchison voted for a "radical appointment" to a city board or committee who supports defunding the police and that Hutchison took no action on the Green Bay Police Department working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to remove illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes.

He cites the Sept. 19, 2023, Green Bay City Council meeting as a source, during which the council voted 6-4 to deny Natalie Hoffman's appointment to the Equal Rights Commission over her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, a large political group whose platform includes public safety reform efforts under the title "defund the police." Hutchison noted Hoffman did not personally back defunding the police and that her appointment drew the backing of several other City Council members besides himself.

The meeting agenda contains no request, resolution or action related to Green Bay Police officers working with Homeland Security to remove illegal immigrants. Hutchison could recall no council vote related to police and federal immigration enforcement, nor could Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis.

"I am not sure what that would be referring to," Davis said.

Road construction pace

Nicholson also claims Hutchison failed a campaign pledge to fix roads and cites "City Minutes" as evidence.

Hutchison said he's not for bad roads and is "working on increasing the amount of roads" the city reconstructs each year.

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Why Jim Hutchison launched a write-in campaign for a County Board seat