Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/112475
Sarasota News Leader March 1, 2013 Page 11 or the mooring field. But then they go back into the womb of the neighborhood and you���re back to square one. Can we get some sort of leader that embraces the whole city? I���ve been mayor for two years. I feel I���ve embraced the city. Whether you agree with the last vote, or parking meters, whatever, I���ve been out and about meeting hundreds and hundreds of people. But the trick is, can you have an elected mayor and a city manager at the same time. I���m willing to look at all the language. I���m not going out on a limb and say, ���Strong mayor, period.��� I���m not sure what that means yet. But we need to look at a three- or four-year elected leader in the city. I don���t say strong mayor; I say elected mayor. A lot of people may want the St. [Petersburg] model, the CEO [chief executive officer] model. But whether you like it or not, I���m not sure in this town it would go down. Maybe it shouldn���t. But I���m willing to look at it. It���s all about the language. Linda Holland/Photo by Robert Hackney Your preference: city manager or elected mayor with management responsibilities? Holland: I have ��� as you well know ��� I have been a proponent of the elected mayor for a number of years, because of the leadership void. Ten or however many years ago, it was A lot of the business people want a strong verbecause the community felt there was a leadsion. We aren���t Tampa. We are emerging, and ership void. I want a leader. The community wasn���t satisfied with some ��� ��� ��� of the proposals so they voted them down. Your preference: city manager or elect- I still find in my time out in the community, ed mayor with management responsibil- they still feel there���s a leadership void. We���ve gone through several city managers lately, so I ities? continue to believe in the concept and the opChapman: I have a strong preference for the portunities and the possibilities that are there. city manager/council form of government. I understand the concern you can point to good elected mayors and bad elected may��� ��� ���