"Is Levitt’s reasoning sound? Do you support the four council members—Sam Liebert, Yuri Rashkin, Russ Steeber and Kathy Voskuil?"

I don't see any evidence of a even a modicum of "reason" - between all FIVE of these ringers! And how do entire groups of employees get "merit pay"? Is this the opposite of group punishment? Real merit pay is based on individual performance - not an end-around excuse for job classification raises. Such action shows a compete disregard for the system and the citizens, but should come as no surprise in this city. What's next, back to the two-sheeter ice arena and the Milwaukee St. tunnel funding? How about a...children's museum? NOTHING should surprise anyone in this little corner of the present Idiocratic State of Wisconsin!

How about a report on what these supervisory and other employees who are receiving the merit pay actually (not theoretically either) make, per hour and per year, with ALL benefits accounted for?

Any extra pay would be nice! have not had a raise in four years yet these jerks keep spending and raising my taxes! They all need to go!

Greg, just curious.. did your paper endorse(which still means support in my book) any of the 3 you named? If so, did you have a hand in deciding the endorsement?
BTW, I was told that Liebert worked for Obama in another Midwestern state. I didn't vote for him, or anyone else whose sign was in front of the labor 'temple' on the south side. In the absence of any other REAL info, I figured that was the safest bet..

Carpetbagger.

I recently bought a condo in Alabama. I have worked since I was 6 years old and am now 69. Now I have to make a dicesion to stay in Wisconsin or move to AL. My house value here is $267,000 and I pay $6500 in property tax. The condo I bought in Al cost $150,000 my property tax there is $480.00 per year. Wheel tax, property tax, that out of this world sewer tax going up. Thats why were all leaving Wisconsin. I also will not be taxed as much on my retierment pay. A city council that would rather tax you than make a fair deal and keep taxes lower. Good by Wisconsin hello Alabama.

Absolutely not, and it was not MERIT pay.

Spark, truecitizen. Do tell!

youkillme - Yes, you seem to be very confused on this subject and what is actually happening here.

No, unfortuanely I don't work for the city
who can't control their spending.

Greg, you've fallen into the propaganda trap of labels that make this supposed "merit pay" something *on top of* their regular pay. The issue is that their *regular pay* was cut without any approval of the city council. The state stepped in and changed the salary and benefits formula without, in fact, much debate in its own chambers, let alone any input from the cities and school districts affected. As such the city is now in the position of looking like it's "rewarding" workers for doing what they had already agreed to under contract and for the same pay. The city, in fact, is attempting to make good on the signed compensation contracts it put its word behind, regardless of the Walker shell game.
.
Making this about bonuses, and whether they are deserved, is bogus.

This was just another move to stick it to the taxpayers and give it to the public employees to boost their cadillac benefits.

If managers are targeting select city employees specifically for individual and varying amounts to reward extra hard and/or extra smart work, it is merit pay. If every city worker is getting an identical lump sum, regardless of their performance, it is a Christmas bonus.

In the private sector, the only form of merit pay I've ever had was in the form of a raise. On the other hand, I've received Christmas bonuses from varying employers - getting frozen turkeys, company-paid meals, and cash.

So Greg, should your question be "Are you expecting any merit pay?" or "Are you expecting a Christmas/Festivus/Hanukkah/early-Ramadan bonus?"?

youkillme...you made no sense.

For all the people who work for a private employer which is the majority of the people in the area. Their company management says the insurance premiums are going up and our contribution to your 401K will be discontinued.
Also pay raises are being frozen for the next year. Gee these people are loosing a lot more than the 5.8% teachers, city workers, etc. are loosing. Do you think they will get merit pay?
I THINK NOT!!! Wake up city council.

WOW getting "Merit pay" for doing the work that your hired to do. No dought they work hard, I see many City workers out holding up shovels watching as maybe 1 or 2 are doing the work. How much of this goes on in the Offices of City workers? How many City employees does it take to change a light bulb? Soon there will be no City to take care of.

This exposes just another major flaw in Walker's class war repair bill. Why should worker's have to pay extra to create a pool of "savings" which can and will go toward other worker's increases and benefits? Levitt and the council did right. Walker is screwing Wisconsin communities.

Interesting how government tries to be more like business and reward those who do extra. Now we are rewarding hard work. Oh, wait. If not in the private sector, this is government waste.
Can't have it both ways!

Union or non-union, it is all tactic. Who are these people to decide this distribution?

Does anyone see the obvious? This is wrong. No more merit pays and no more tax increases. I am highly disappointed in these people. Spend more tax more. How can this not be seen?

The wage gap normaly gets bigger over the years. A 3% raise across the board results in more money for the higher paid managers than it does for the union workers. Over the years this results in a large wage gap. So, Heaven forbid they let that gap get a little bit smaller even though there are lots of other things that $192,000 could be used for.

The stock market is up for the past two years. Where are the stockholders getting their boost in dividends from? Oh, from the output of the workers. We're sorry, there's nothing left for you.

I get no merit pay and I pay whatever I can into my own retirement fund. Why shouldn't the general public pay for their own medical and retirement AND foot the bill for all the public workers medical and retirement? Why should the public workers even have to kick in a dime out of their own pockets? They deserve and are owed to have the rest of us pay for their funds. I think Janesville needs another layer of taxes in order to also collect from those without vehicles. Perhaps a foot tax. We could pay Twenty dollars each for each family members feet within the city. That would help cover wear and tear on sidewalks. I am sure we could come up with plenty more taxes to collect if we just get more creative with our thinking.

Come on Greg. Everyone knows that all those private sector non-union workers will be getting pay raises, bonuses and lavish bennies commensurate with their ablities. No need to rub it in to the slackers who won't be getting a raise this year.

Dear readers: To correct my post, the $192,500 approved for merit pay is from the 2011 budget and was approved on a 4-2 vote Monday that was separate from the 4-2 vote for the 2012 budget. Councilwoman Deb Dongarra-Adams voted against the merit pay but for the 2012 budget.
Also, the wheel tax is set to be in the budget, Councilman Sam Liebert informs me, but has not yet been voted on because ordinances are voted on separately and require a public hearing. Action and a public hearing will be Dec. 12, Liebert notes.
Sorry for the misinformation and confusion.
Greg Peck

dustyd, try reading "Drive" by Daniel Pink and you'll see that money is a lousy motivator, it can actually make people less effective.

Money does not motivate workers. Someone with a good work ethic will work just as hard for $10 as they will for $20. There are the people who do the best job they can because that is the only way they know how, and those who do the least possible to still get a paycheck. A raise will not make a slacker work harder.

Haven't had a raise in over four years. Now, due to new legislation I don't have a chance for two more years. I'm making the same wage as the people I interview and help hire. No overtime. No merit pay. No bonus.

Merit pay is common practice and very effective. Money motivates workers. Motivated city workers and competition for city jobs result in better services for Janesville residents.

"Recoup" money that went into their own retirement account? What kinds of fools are these city Fathers? This is one of the dumbest things yet. Dumber than the skate park, dumber than the ice arena, dumber than the tunnel idea under Milwaukee street, dumber than the round about idea on Milwaukee street, dumber than the umpteen "studies" where we pay some strangers to tell us what we already know.

The only thing the council knows how to do well is to spend someone Else's money. What a bunch of morons !

Levitt says the wage gap has narrowed between the unionized staff and their managers. Even the Gazette must have a wage hierarchy where publishers earn more than editors, and editors more than reporters. City wages are public info. Why not assign a reporter to look into it instead stirring the pot and getting the haters all worked up?

Well said Bassman. I concur.

If I were a city employee, no amount of merit pay would be worth the hostility, anger, and disrespect afforded to me by many of the residents of this city. My resume would be out everywhere. City workers do work hard for every dime they earn. They provide us with the services that make living here better. I for one have no problem with them getting a one time payment to help soften the sudden financial blow. Thank you city workers. Good luck!

My merit pay is overtime to the tune of about 15 to 20 hrs a week ! That is what I use to pay my over priced insurance and retirement,I have no problem working my ass off for what I need apparently some do. Thank god I have a good job and most of all I am proud,I work for what I have and,don't expect things. Get it, you spoiled rotten union babies ?you {most} make me sick,you should be ashamed ,of your attitudes.

This is a bogus argument..."workers recoup some of the money they’ve paid by contributing 5.8 percent of salaries toward their pensions".
Why do they need to "recoup" money that effectively went into their own retirement savings?

albeit a joke with taxing authority, which makes them dangerous.

City council continues to be a joke.

What a joke. These clowns need to go.

I am expecting merit pay because of the extra money that I have brought in for my employer. That's what "merit pay" is.