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Town of Rockland to merge with village of Greenleaf to avoid potential for De Pere annexation Merger agreement passes unanimously; Rockland expected to help pay down Greenleaf debt in exchange for land security GREENLEAF, Wis. (WBAY) - The town of Rockland will cease to exist as an independent municipality after officials from both Rockland and the village of Greenleaf voted unanimously to adopt a merger agreement. The agreement takes effect 30 days after the vote, which took place on Aug. 10, pending any petition or referendum. About 500 people attended the joint meeting at Rockland town hall on Monday night, where officials from both municipalities voted on the agreement. Why Rockland sought the merger Greenleaf Village President Bonnie Crossman said the town of Rockland approached Greenleaf in January, hoping to merge in order to preserve its rural character and avoid further annexation into the city of De Pere. “We are a little smaller, but everyone who lives here loves living here as well, and it’s just a win-win for both of us, and I really hope people can see that,” Crossman said. Town Chair Dennis Cashman said Rockland wanted to remain its own town but felt De Pere left officials no choice. “City of De Pere never wanted to work with us because they only have one way to grow, and that is to the south through Rockland,” Cashman said. “And if you go on their comprehensive plans, they show coming out to Rockland halfway and showing future growth, multi-family, residential lots, all that, and the people in the country, we don’t want that.” De Pere responds Only three annexations have taken place between De Pere and Rockland in the past 20 years. De Pere’s city manager said the city has not initiated any of them. In a written statement, De Pere City Manager Flom said: “The City and the Town have had historic tense relationships rooted in failed boundary agreement discussions that occurred over fifteen years ago. The sentiment on our end has changed quite a bit over time. We appreciate the opportunity to respond and provide additional information. The City of De Pere does not, and cannot, annex privately owned properties. The ability to annex into a neighboring community is a right reserved for the property owner and governed by state statutes. Since we became aware of this agreement a few weeks ago, we reached out to the Town Chair on several occasions in an effort to re-open boundary agreement discussions so that Rockland can retain its rural character and property owners along De Pere’s southern border can retain their right to choose. We will continue to seek genuine opportunities to work with the Town and Village of Greenleaf and believe the regional collaboration is the best way for both communities to achieve their future goals and work together." Terms of the merger Rockland is expected to help pay down Greenleaf’s $350,000 debt as part of the merger agreement. In exchange, officials said the community’s way of living will not change. Greenleaf’s village board will also expand from three to five members, adding Rockland’s two town supervisors to ensure both communities have representation. A large piece of land owned by the Frankenthal family will remain a Rockland territory until Dec. 31, the current deadline for the Frankenthals to decide whether to annex into De Pere or merge with Greenleaf. Greenleaf was established as a village just four years ago and is expected to see a significant expansion in both land area and tax base as a result of the merger. Copyright 2026 WBAY. All rights reserved.