Atwell named city mayor

To the casual observer, Sarasota’s new mayor, Suzanne Atwell, may not be the most forceful member of the City Commission.

During her first two years in office, she never engaged in public debates with her fellow commissioners.
But a reluctance to publicly bicker with colleagues or constituents does not mean she doesn’t have a passion for her beliefs.

Atwell has a determination to do what she thinks is best for the city. She doesn’t surrender easily, even when her fellow commissioners suggest she do so.

“I don’t take no for an answer when I believe in something,” Atwell said.

In each of her two years in office, Atwell asked the commission to back her idea to create a citywide economic-development coordinator position to help retain existing business and attract new businesses.
No other commissioner endorsed the idea.

But, instead of letting the idea die, she worked behind the scenes.

She convinced City Manager Bob Bartolotta to insert $40,000 in the budget to help pay the salary of an economic-development manager, in addition to funds from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Improvement District.

On March 29, Randy Welker started his first day on the job as Sarasota’s new economic-development coordinator.

Business leaders and developers believe many decisions both on a staff and City Commission level have dissuaded people from investing in Sarasota.

Atwell hopes to change that perception.

“We’re not going to keep throwing up impediments in developing the city,” she said. “(Citizens) sometimes associate a development with the personality of the developer. We can’t throw out the merits of the case with a development. The more development we bring in, it’s only going to help the bottom line when budget time comes.”

One area in which Atwell promises to differ from the previous administration is taking city staff’s advice.
“We need to respect staff and have trust in them,” Atwell said. “We can micromanage until the cows come home, but the citizens won’t stand for that. I have to have the ability to make policy based on (staff recommendations.)”

Becoming mayor is something Atwell strived for since she first ran for office, and she is prepared to embrace that role.

“I love being a city commissioner,” she said. “I feel I can have more influence. The City Commission is the closest you’ll get to the electorate.”

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].