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Sarasota News Leader March 29, 2013 Page 34 THE STAB IN THE DARK A topic coming up early in the day is appointment of an 11-member panel jointly proposed by Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin and Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid. The body would ponder the future of the Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA skims county property taxes paid in a defined area and devotes them to fighting "slum and blight." The amount of money is substantial. This year the CRA has about $3 million to spend. The deal was established 27 years ago to preserve a failing downtown corridor. In three years the deal expires. The county is already using the $3 million in its out-year budget projections, and county commissioners have often eyed the money as a way to balance future budgets. City Manager Tom Barwin (left) and Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown attend the dedication of Complexus by the bayfront on March 27. Photo by Norman Schimmel In a show of magnanimity at a joint city-county meeting on Feb. 5, the two boards agreed to examine the idea of extending the term of eleven is a manageable number and recomthe CRA beyond 2016. The 11-member body mends that they all be appointed to the comwould report back to Reid and Barwin by Sep- mittee," Barwin wrote. tember. The stakes are high. The city now uses Barwin nominated six people for the commit- $700,000 in CRA money to defray the cost of tee: Andy Dorr, Chris Gallagher, Mark Huey, downtown policing. Both governments are Katie Leonard, Michael Beaumier and Frank running on unbalanced budgets, dipping into Carol. reserves to match ends and means. Will the Reid nominated seven people: Chris Gallagh- county be willing to extend the CRA's term er, Michael Beaumier, David Merrill, Bill Rus- and relinquish the money? And what would sell, Joel Freedman, Casey Colburn and Ernie the city do without the funds? DuBose. These will be questions in the back of Because two names appear on both lists — the minds of the 11 committee members, Gallagher and Beaumier — the nominations should the City Commission approve their total 11. "Both administrators believe that nomination. %