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mh92 WOMETCO VP IS NEW BEACH MANAGER 03/04/1992
THE MIAMI HERALD
Copyright (c) 1992, The Miami Herald
DATE: Wednesday, March 4, 1992 EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: 2B LENGTH: 49 lines
ILLUSTRATION: photo: Roger CARLTON
SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: BONNIE WESTON Herald Staff Writer
WOMETCO VP IS NEW BEACH MANAGER
Choosing a familiar hand, the Miami Beach City Commission on Tuesday voted
to hire Roger Carlton as its new city manager after a year without a permanent
chief executive.
Carlton, executive vice president of Wometco Enterprises, could be on the
job by early April. First he must negotiate a salary package with Mayor
Seymour Gelber in talks scheduled later this week.
"I'm very pleased and honored the commission made its decision the way it
did, " said Carlton, 44, who now earns $140,000 a year plus bonuses. Gelber
said the new manager's salary will fall in the $100,000 range.
Several commissioners said they would have liked an outsider with a fresh
perspective and no local ties. Still, they unanimously picked Carlton over
four out-of-town candidates, saying the Beach needs someone who can make
decisions on his first day at City Hall.
"I gave him every opportunity not to be my candidate, " said Commissioner
Susan Gottlieb. "But he has all the experience we need in this job, and he can
take over immediately."
At Wometco, Carlton helped win state and county approval for a
controversial $70 million plan to expand the Miami Seaquarium. Neighbors are
challenging the project in court.
Before joining Wometco in 1985, Carlton ran Miami's sprawling Off-Street
Parking Department, a credential that appealed to Beach commissioners eager to
relieve the city's traffic jams and parking shortages.
Earlier, he worked as an assistant to Merrett Stierheim during
Stierheim's stints as county manager in Pinellas and Dade.
"We know where he's coming from," Commissioner David Pearlson said. "He's
the obvious choice. He's in our back yard. We've watched him work. There will
be no learning curve."
Commissioners Neisen Kasdin and Martin Shapiro had sought to delay
Tuesday's vote and invite the leading candidates back for a public hearing
where they could answer questions from Beach residents. The other
commissioners said no.
Commissioners first voted 6-1 for Carlton, with Shapiro casting his first
ballot for Pensacola businessman Steve Garman. Ultimately, Shapiro agreed to
make the vote for Carlton unanimous.
For now, Acting City Manager Carla Talarico will return to her old
position as an assistant city manager. While she drew no votes for the
permanent position, the commission voted to give her about $11,000 in back pay
for the year she served as city manager.
KEYWORDS: CARLTON BIOGRAPHY AGE MB APPOINTMENT SALARY MANAGER
TAG: 9204110299