Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/88739
Sarasota News Leader October 19, 2012 er Terry Turner, who also rapped Chisolm of Daytona Beach for "ill-handled controversies." The fifth candidate was an African-American female. Barbara Lipscomb dropped out of the Sarasota race to take the job as city manager of Greenville, NC. On July 2, the Sarasota City Commission voted 2-1-1 and "no choice" among the five remain- ing candidates. Barwin picked up two votes (Willie Shaw and Turner); Chisolm, one vote (Paul Caragiulo); and Mitchell, one vote (Su- zanne Atwell). Commissioner Shannon Sny- der voted for "none of the above." Because it Page 15 takes four votes to hire a city manager, there was a deadlock. With a room full of city police officers and their families ready to protest a cut in their pensions, headhunter Baenzinger suggested adding as much as $100,000 to the salary range already set for city manager candidates, to en- courage more applicants. A gasp ran through the audience. "I can't think of a worse time to have this con- versation," said Caragiulo. After the City Commission refused to take that bait, Lewis pretended to toss in his tow- ONE SMALL BLOT MARS BARWIN'S MOVE Terry Lewis had urged Tom Barwin to send somebody to nose around the candidates' towns. "We don't want any surprises," Lewis told The Sarasota News Leader. Barwin ac- cepted that advice, and we learned he was visiting Ocean City, MD, on Oct. 12. We contacted him there to ask two ques- tions: Did you offer Ms. DiPino the job? And did she accept? He replied, "[S]till vetting top three, close to a final decision, should have an announcement by mid- week …" He visited only Ocean City. City Manager Tom Barwin speaks during an Oct. 16 press conference about his choice of Bernadette DiPino as the new police chief. Mayor Suzanne Atwell (left) and DiPino join him at the front of the City Commission Chambers. Photo by Norman Schimmel The Sarasota Herald-Tribune report- ed Oct. 16, before the press conference: "When asked to confirm the [DiPino] ap- pointment today, Barwin said he does not know who he is picking until he makes the 3 p.m. announcement."