And then there were five ...

The five city manager candidates the Sarasota city commissioners selected Monday include all three Florida city manager candidates.

Work to solve employee issues within City Hall. Restore trust and confidence to city residents rocked by a City Hall computer investigation. Meet with commissioners and business leaders. Work to solve budget issues. Fix the pension problem.

All of the five city manager candidates chosen by the Sarasota City Commission Monday as finalists for the CEO position at City Hall made the above statements or sentiments during their interview process. In essence, they all said the right things on paper, in the form of interview packets distributed to commissioners last week.

Now, it’s up to commissioners and the community to see which candidate stands out as the city’s perfect fit during a two-day interview process at the end of the month.

The list of top picks, which include all three Florida city manager candidates, includes: Daytona Beach City Manager James Chisholm; West Palm Beach City Administrator Edward “Ed” Mitchell; former Casselberry City Manager Barbara Lipscomb; former McKinney, Texas, Deputy City Manager Rick Chaffin; and former Oak Park, Ill., City Manager Thomas Barwin.

Search consultant Colin Baenziger, of Wellington-based Colin Baenziger & Associates, said the candidates will come to Sarasota for a two-day interview process June 29 and June 30.

That process includes candidate one-on-one interviews with city commissioners and a community meet-and-greet to be held 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 29, at the Robert L. Taylor Community Center.

Then, Saturday, June 30, candidate meetings will be held with the entire Sarasota City Commission, department heads and the City Manager Citizens Advisory Panel at City Hall.

In July, the Sarasota City Commission is expected to officially make its final selection and hire its new city manager at its Monday, July 2, regular meeting.

For more information about the candidates, read the following candidate rundowns that were created using information from their interview packets:

James V. Chisholm
City of Sarasota commission finalist votes received: Five
Current position: City manager of Daytona Beach since 2004
Current annual salary: $170,693
Background check: No records found
Past positions: DeSoto County administrator; Islamorada Village of Islands city manager; South Padre Island, Texas city manager; St. Lucie County administrator; St. Cloud city manager
Education: General business administration degree from Troy State University.
Daytona Beach accomplishments
• Maintaining a stable financial base to fund programs and services
• Maintaining a quality of life that includes the need for increased law enforcement; overseeing a large underground road infrastructure project.
• Creation of a world-class entertainment zone in the city’s tourist area.
• Allocating $8 million in new road projects.
• Retooling the police department by consolidating the city police force with the county.
• Managing the retirement programs for police and fire employees while maintaining a stable financial base.
• Overseeing significant infrastructure programs such as community center and water and sewer projects.

Notable interview comments:
• Management style is said to be open and direct.
• He sets the expectations for his employees. Although he does not micromanage, he expects results.
• The majority of elected commissioners think he is a good manager and visionary; he has brought the city further in seven-and-a-half years than any previous manager.
• Greatest strength is finding common ground among elected officials and building consensus around the long-range goals for the community.
• Chisholm did indicate a weakness of “sometimes taking a bit of time to fully recognize shortcomings in his personnel.”

Top challenges Chisholm sees for the next Sarasota city manager:
• City finances
• Organizational consolidation
• Job creation in the community

If chosen to be the next city manager of Sarasota, Chisholm would spend the first six months:
• Getting to know elected officials.
• Solving immediate issues.
• Learning more about financial and pension issues.
• Reviewing staffing capabilities.
• Becoming familiar with city assets and the needs of the community.

Barbara Lipscomb
City of Sarasota commission finalist votes received: Five
Current position: Unemployed. Former city manager of Casselberry from January 2007 to January 2012.
Casselberry salary: $144,000
Background check: No records found; one speeding ticket
Past positions: Gainesville assistant city manager; Lakeland assistant city manager
Education: Master’s in regional planning from University of North Carolina

Casselberry accomplishments:
• Secured $20 million in grant funds for city programs.
• Restructured city departments.
• Established employee teams to identify deficiencies. • Implementation of downtown “City Center” development. • Oversight of major city transportation projects.

Notable interview comments:
• She has faced shrinking budgets in Casselberry and was able to reduce spending to 2005-06 fiscal year levels.
• Describes her management style as firm, but fair. She motivates, acts as a mentor and provides staff the support they need.
• She is a tough leader, but she creates and fosters an enjoyable work environment.
• When she began as Casselberry’s city manager, the staff did not work well together. She quickly made her expectations clear … all departments responded properly and now function well.
• Elected officials would say she is a good leader. And has strong budgetary skills.

Top challenges Lipscomb sees for the next Sarasota city manager:
• Significant financial challenges stemming from the economic downturn
• Pensions and benefit structures
• Economic development
• Continuing to build the sense of community, as well as encouraging neighborhoods.

If chosen to be the next city manager of Sarasota, Lipscomb would spend the first six months:
• Spending a great deal of time with commissioners
• Understanding the community
• Getting to know employees

Edward ‘Ed’ Mitchell
City of Sarasota commission finalist votes received: Five
Current position: City administrator of West Palm Beach since 1999
Current annual salary: $210,000
Background check: No records found
Past positions: West Palm Beach assistant city administrator; Palm Beach Gardens assistant city manager
Education: Master’s in public administration from Suffolk University, School of Management, Boston
West Palm Beach Accomplishments:
• Overseeing the revitalization of downtown and a development called CityPlace.
• Developed a West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation Master Plan
• Organized a successful $20 million bond referendum in 2000
• Developed a voluntary separation program to avoid 150 employee layoffs
• Developed a hurricane management plan
• Oversaw streetscape improvements and free trolley services between shopping districts.

Notable interview comments:
• Participatory is how Mr. Mitchell characterizes his management style. He listens to others, has open discussions and understands that everyone has different experiences and ideas they can bring to the table.
• If they were asked about Mr. Mitchell, employees in West Palm Beach would say he listens, pushes them to work hard, is positive and is loyal to them.
• The elected officials in West Palm Beach would say that Mr. Mitchell gets things done.
• Mr. Mitchell’s strengths are that he promotes his city, builds trust and is a person of his word.

Top challenges Mitchell sees for the next Sarasota city manager:
• Investigations regarding city staff — they need to bring credibility back to the organization inside and out, and regain the public’s trust.
• Financial challenges relating to pension issues
• Road construction issues
• Homelessness issues

If chosen to be the next city manager of Sarasota, Mitchell would spend the first six months:
• Meeting with commissioners in a retreat type format
• Getting out and meeting the business community
• Putting his work boots on and riding with all crews, including light crews, public works, police officers, etc.
• Building confidence with city administration and building trust within the community
• Becoming involved with the chamber
• Learning neighborhood issues
• Lowering the crime rate

Rick Chaffin
Age: 51
City of Sarasota commission finalist votes received: Four
Current position: Unemployed. Former deputy city manager of McKinney, Texas from 2007 to February 2012
Casselberry salary: $157,000
Background check: No records found
Past positions: Roswell, Ga., city manager; Griffin, Ga., city manager; Mount Pleasant, Texas, city manager
Education: Master’s in urban affairs from Virginia Tech University

McKinney, Texas, accomplishments:
• Successfully led and managed five departments including police, fire, development services, parks and recreation and public works.
• Oversaw numerous capital projects
• Created strategic planning and organizational restructuring of various department
• Oversaw total renovation of downtown
• Oversaw police and fire union negotiations

Notable interview comments:
• Mr. Chaffin characterizes himself as a generalist rather than an expert in any one field but a leader who can move staff toward the goals the elected officials establish.
• He characterizes his management style as 80% consultative and 20% participative.
• If asked, 99% of his former staff would say good things about him and indicate they loved to work for him.
• He has a knack for organizational development, bringing processes up to date and making them user friendly.

Top challenges Chaffin sees for the next Sarasota city manager:
• Organizational development
• Budgeting
• Establishing good relations with police and fire unions.
• Urban redevelopment
• Economic development

If chosen to be the next city manager of Sarasota, Chaffin would spend the first six months:
• Familiarizing himself with the organization
• Planning a retreat with the mayor and commissioners
• Listening to others and acting as a facilitator.

Thomas Barwin
Age: 58
City of Sarasota commission finalist votes received: Three
Current position: Unemployed. Former city manager of Village of Oak Park, Ill.
Village of Oak Park city manager salary: $180,000
Background check: No records found
Past positions: Ferndale, Mich., city manager; St. Clair, Mich., community development director; Troy, Mich., assistant city manager
Education: Master of science degree from Central Michigan University and completed Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University

Village of Oak Park, Ill., accomplishments:
• Oak Park became one of the first communities to implement a totally green power program for all its residents and business owners on Barwin’s watch.
• Revamping the city’s audit program
• Monitoring the city’s crime response

Notable interview comments:
• Mr. Barwin is a collaborative, visionary manager.
• He communicates regularly with each department to ensure operations run smoothly.
• Barwin’s staff would indicate he is energetic, innovative, helpful and constructive.
• His strengths include being collaborative and working well with all types of people.

Top challenges Barwin sees for the next Sarasota city manager:
• Fiscal
• Service levels
• Operational efficiency
• Trust and collaboration.

If chosen to be the next city manager of Sarasota, Barwin would spend the first six months:
• Immersing himself as quickly as possible in the community, beginning with the commission
• Getting to know department heads and the challenges they face
• Meeting business and community leaders
• Reviewing staffing capabilities.