I'm so glad Jay has been selected! He has a very strong education and several years of experience. Localboy is spot on--Jay has been the director over Community Development Block Grants, HOME Funds, Section 8 grants, and several other extremely important funds and programs to benefit low-income people. If you don't know his name, then it means you haven't faced the types of economic devastation or had to deal with code violations--both things he has overseen.

ladyinred - I would think a Masters degree in Public Administration is "schooling" enough for city hall, don't you? How much more schooling should a chap get? Just because nobody knows your name doesn't mean you haven't done anything for the community. Any program funded for income elegible individuals was under his direction for years. That is what the Housing and Neighborhood Services department does. Housing help, housing rehab, rental help, renters assistance, etc. I don't think there are any playgrounds named after him if that is what you mean by helping the community.

teeber and whocares77, yes you have a right to voice your opinion here. But specificity would be nice!!!

IT'D MAKE IT SO MUCH MORE INFORMATIONAL AND INTERESTING TO THE READER!!!

teeber, first you're worried about things in the past without specifying what those things are and now you're worried about things that haven't happened yet. Don't worry! Be happy!

ladyinred, don't you remember back in 2004 when Jay hit 73 homers for the Brewers breaking Barry Bonds' record?!

localboysince1968 Thanks I read it but what has he done for this community? I've never heard of him before and I've lived here since 1961!!!

ladyinred - read the last sentence of the article and see for yourself. Geez!

Just read his info. He does have schooling and experience working at city hall

Is Jay a nephew, son, to Steve or what. I have never heard of him before this. Does he have any schooling behind him? OR is it that he just followed Steve around for years? What makes him qualified for a position of City
Manager in a city this size? Anyone know!!! Has anyone heard of him before?

All I can say is this, Let's just see what transpires at city hall in the meantime as they search for a new manager.

Well thought-out post, janevillean. I'd add that the closest thing we have to a mayor is the president of council. The president has a little more power than the others e.g. can get something on the agenda without the support of another councilmember.

Janesvillean: I don't know that he would have been interested or if he'd have accepted the position, but I'd certainly argue that Tom Rogers would have been more qualified. You might remember Rogers as the former assistant city manager who retired a few years back. He was well respected, well thought of and was more than capable of being city manager, let alone filling in on an interim basis. If he wasn't at least approached, that, in my opinion, was a major faux pas.

shadow96, persist with the matter. If you get no response contact the city council.

gazettefan is correct. The council-manager form of government was a product of the "good government" movement (overlapping with the LaFollette Progressives -- who were largely Republicans, by the way), who were concerned that most municipalities were dominated by a single party and thus mayoral elections were a sham. The real selection took place in "smoke-filled rooms" by party leaders. This was not always but too often endemically corrupt.
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By contrast city managers are professionals, often with degrees in governance as well as training in management and other disciplines, who are subject to a transparent and public hiring process. City councils are a multi-person executive, like having seven mayors to watch each other. It is open, clean, and professional governance -- the polar opposite of an "old boys network".
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Now, I am not Steve Sheiffer, but I recognize as localboy does that Janesville is overall an exceptionally well-managed city which is in a good position after his tenure and the best position it could be in to face the loss of GM. There are reasons to criticize the man but poor governance is not one of them. Clearly the council, by retaining Sheiffer all these years despite its own major personnel changes, also recognizes this. They have to face their own re-election every two years so they can't have been terribly out of tune with what the people of Janesville think, either.
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Finally, as to Winzenz, I personally would not feel he has even as good a resume as the finalists whom the council rejected. An assistant manager in Janesville is not the same as an assistant manager in a much larger community (such as Naperville). I am also concerned that the new manager have broad vision and, indeed, have some personal charisma and clear accomplishment, especially in the area of economic development. I think the council feels this way which is why they are taking the cautious route with their search. So Winzenz may not in fact be a great choice for permanent manager.
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But as interim manager, he certainly knows Janesville government inside and out, he has been endorsed in his current position by the successful city manager we have had and by the council implicitly, and now by the council explicitly. With the possible exception of someone like Tim Cullen or a Ken Hendricks type, I don't see how the council could really do better. Any outside search would impact the more important search for a permanent manager. In short, it's a perfectly safe, logical, rational choice to take on Winzenz for several months.
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Anybody who thinks otherwise is likely continuing to evaluate politics on a personality basis and doesn't understand the checks and balances our system provides.

Wow...I hope Jay does a better job in his temporary position than he does at his current position! I was told to submit a claim to him when a very large pothole popped my tire back in December, and never received a response. As a taxpayer, it sure would've been nice to at least receive a response.

Even with the Z sounds, it ryhmes. (Sounds like, not exactly the same sound).

Councilmember Amy Loasching, on the radio, said that Winzenz hasn't applied for the permanent position but he can if he wants to and that his application would be given the same consideration as any one else's.

Winzenz doesn't rhyme with sense. Pronounce the z like in zen.
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FYI, Mr. Winzenz will be in Janesville for a long time. Big tie to the community.

It's possible that Winzenz will be offered the job as a permanent position.

For you people who don't get it. By naming Jay the interim, you keep the current city system going - which by the way is not a bad thing. Janesville is a well run city comparatively. When a new outside Manager is hired, he can lean on Jay for specifics of day to day operations, but yet put his own ideas or stamp on the changes he wants to implement. Unfortunetly, for you people that think you can do a better job running the city, we will now lose Jay to some other municipality due to his now iterim experience. I think you will find that for the money, Steve was a excellant deal. For some of you that think you can run the city, please contact the council for information on how to get it touch with the hired recruitment company.

Win -- zenz (ryhmes with sense)

great, another city manager's name I can't pronounce

packfan66, the Janesville electorate, by way of electing our councilmembers, has kept Sheiffer on the job all this time.

Everyone has personality flaws.

rosewood, the mayoral system is a politically charged system. You're over looking the corruption tax involved in running citys like New York and Chicago. There is no corruption tax here with the city manager/council system.

Can someone explain to me why we have a city manager and not a mayor-what is the difference?
Is it to our benefit to have a manager versus a mayor? Ney York is a huge city and they have a mayor. What is the advantages and disadvantages?

gazettefan: For all the shortcomings in his personality, I admit Scheiffer has done a good job as city manager for Janesville. He is recognized nationwide as one of the best. Of course, there are many who find him arrogant, think he has a god complex and believes (for good reason) that he, not the council, runs things around here without having to answer to anybody.
Winzenz, quite frankly, has less experience than all of the recent manager finalists that were turned away. He's simply been willing to follow Sheiffer around for 10 years, hoping to be in a good spot when the boss finally retired.

Looks like that's the case now.

What is it about you complainers that allows you to overlook how well this city has been run during the last 22 years?

I posted that it would be Winzenz at the July 30th story.

http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/jul/30/...

For all those not part of the GOBC, here's how it works.
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Routine: In the office by 8:20, 8:25, maybe 8:30, coffee and read the Wisconsin State Journal in the breakroom, a few meetings, 30-45 minute lunch, read the Janesville Gazette for 30 minutes, leave by 4 unless it's a golf day, then out the door by 3:30 or 3:45.
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Duration: every day for 10+ years
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Reward: interim city manager

Poor choice.
Janesvillean: Are you Steve Sheiffer? Your comment sounds like an overly diplomatic explanation as to why a guy with no experience away from Sheiffer's side would become interim leader of one of the largest cities in the state. I hope for the council's sake this search for a real manager goes quick, because residents are going to tire of Jay's ways by about noon Sept. 6.

trehgr, Yes it is sad that the "good old boys" club does continue. It could and should have gone to either a city employee or an "outside" person that can do the job but does not work directly underneath the current city manager whose attitude and policies leave much to be desired. It remains to be seen if the "interim" person will follow current attitude and policies. I hope for the sake of this city, Not.

Ah, the good old boys club continues. Short days, afternoons on the golf course. How sad.

Boy, wasn't it last week or last month that everyone was screaming for the council to save money and just promote from within?
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A completely logical choice. Winzenz did not apply for the permanent position in the first round and I believe from past statements will not be eligible to apply in this round. Thus he can take this job without being a competitor to anyone who follows permanently, and in the meantime the council has the time to carefully consider the exact qualifications they want for a permanent manager and to aggressively search for someone who meets them.
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Winzenz gains valuable experience himself for a future career advancement to run a different community, yet as a caretaker manager he will have very little leeway to promote controversial projects. But some people will fly off the handle no matter what happens, apparently.
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(Winston Churchill once said the best argument against democracy was five minutes spent with the average voter. I guess that applies in this case.)

Now this was a total bad choice! Nothing like keeping the city managers "pet" in office. Good grief! No wonder why things are the way they are these days. I'nm sure there had to have been some other good qualified city employees who are not directly "under" or "under the influence" of the city manager. Wake up council members! Are you that blind??? I can't wait till city council election time. And when it does come, I certainly hope the citizens of this city take a stand and send a strong clear message to the surviving council members that it's not the "good old boys" council anymore. I strongly urge every citizen to pay attention to city hall politics. Get involved and be heard. We all have a stake in this citys future. Thank God the "rein" of the current city manager comes to an end very soon and I hope that the person who "interimly" fills the spot breaks the "follow" me bad boy cycle that is currently being practiced. I for one will be watching.