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Ready to report for duty

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Photo by Dan Lassiter

Eric Levitt is reflected in the glass at the Janesville Ice Arena while he watches his son Jeremy during hockey practice. Janesville’s new city manager and his family have gotten settled in since moving here earlier this month. Levitt starts his job Tuesday.

JANESVILLE — Janesville's new city manager isn't freaking out about the community's economic woes as he settles into a new home and prepares to report for work Tuesday.

Eric Levitt, 41, replaces longtime City Manger Steve Sheiffer, who retired in September.

Levitt left his job as city manager of Sedona, Ariz., a place noted for its beauty. When asked why he sought a job here, he said: "It wasn't about leaving Sedona. A lot of it was about coming to Janesville."

Janesville is a great family place with great opportunities, he said.

"Professionally, there are a lot of challenges. I'm looking forward to try to meet those challenges."

The biggest, of course, is replacing jobs lost with the end of SUV production at the General Motors plant and countering the domino effect on the community.

A simple solution is to attract businesses to create jobs and increase property assessments, Levitt said.

But that's easier said than done, he acknowledged.

More immediate will be the effect on the city's bottom line.

The city appears to be in "excellent" financial shape with a sound budget, he said.

"But economics have changed a lot, and continuing in the same budget format … I'm not sure that we can continue that way long term."

Can the city continue increasing property taxes on the homeowner, especially in a working class community during hard economic times? he asked.

"What's the alternative? I don't know. That's one of the things I'll look at."

Cities in Arizona are funded by the sales tax. Wisconsin cities are funded by property taxes.

Levitt said he'd likely dissect the budget to make sure the city is funding its priorities.

He immediately will meet with council members, both individually and collectively, to understand where they want to take the community.

"They all have individual reasons why they want to be on the council," Levitt said.

He sees his job as helping them be successful by finding ways to implement their visions, goals and objectives.

"I need to understand and know them-like family almost," he said. "I have to really understand what they want."

Sedona residents contacted by The Janesville Gazette lauded Levitt's financial skills, but Levitt says he's not a number cruncher.

"I hate it," he said. "What I like to do is understand the numbers and make them work for policy."

He will tie the council's priorities and objectives to the budget.

That will help department heads, as well, he said.

For example, Levitt said he thought he noticed a disconnect between council members and an administrative decision to reduce snow plowing to save money. The issue was discussed at the last council meeting, which Levitt observed.

It didn't appear that the council had a clear understanding of that decision, he said.

"It may be necessary that ...if snow removal is a huge priority of the council, that we look at other things to reduce to keep (plowing) adequate for the citizens," Levitt said.

With a clear priority system, everybody gets on the same page, he said.

Levitt, who was raised in a Colorado farming community near the Kansas border, became interested in becoming a city manager during his undergraduate years at the University of Kansas.

He recalls being directed to the city manager there to talk about an issue he had with the city.

"When I look back on it, I'm shocked he ever sat down and talked to a college student," Levitt said.

"He helped me understand what I could or could not do to get what I wanted.

"That's what I want to do, is help people."

Levitt went on for his master's degree in public administration with an emphasis in local government. The University of Kansas is ranked the No. 1 school in the nation for that study, he said.

Levitt's first positions took him to Vermont, where his second job was in a high poverty area. He also worked in Ohio before he moved to Sedona.

Levitt met his wife, Ginger, in college, where she majored in history. She got her a nursing degree in Sedona.

The couple have two sons-Jeremy, 9, and Joseph, 2.

The family drove to Janesville on Dec. 5, and Jeremy already is goalie on a hockey team. Hockey is a favorite family sport.

Much of Levitt's spare time is spent with his family. If he reads books, they usually relate to his job. If he watches movies, they usually are animated.

Once the weather warms, he looks forward to exploring the area.

The family has bought a home on the east side. And yes, for those who follow Janesville's continuing sidewalk controversy, it has a sidewalk.