Friling to be paid $279,500 a year
Following about 10 minutes of discussion Monday evening, the Sarasota city commissioners voted unanimously to formally appoint Karie Friling, executive director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois — outside Chicago — as the new Sarasota city manager.
During a Feb. 27 special meeting, the board members had voted unanimously, as well, in choosing Friling for the position. That action followed interviews with the five finalists they had invited to the city and an open house with the candidates that was held at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex in Newtown.
Friling is scheduled to begin work on May 29, the agreement says. She will succeed Marlon Brown, who resigned from the position of city manager as of Oct. 15, 2024, as well as three interim managers: former city Public Works Department Director Doug Jeffcoat; former Town of Longboat Key Manager Dave Bullock, whose City of Sarasota term began in May 2025 and concluded on March 6; and Jennifer Jorgensen, director of governmental affairs for the city, whom the commission appointed to succeed Bullock until Friling could assume the responsibilities as city manager.
“Eighty candidates submitted applications during the national search,” a city news release pointed out.
Friling will be the first woman to serve as the Sarasota city manager, the release further noted. Her base annual pay is $279,500, her contract says. She also will receive an annual cost-of-living increase of 2% for the first two years of hear employment.
Additionally, the agreement notes, the city will provide her $600 a month for a vehicle allowance “for business-related travel within Sarasota and Manatee Counties without limitation.” It says she is to “maintain uninterrupted insurance coverage for her [personal] motor vehicle, at her own expense. The minimum automobile liability insurance coverage shall be $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence.”
Another section points out that the city will pay Friling “up to” $4,000 a month “for temporary housing within the City of Sarasota, not to exceed a period of [six months] or the date of sale of Friling’s primary residence in DuPage County, Illinois, whichever is less.”
He also will be reimbursed no more than $17,500 for relocation expenses.
“We’re all looking forward to officially welcoming Karie Friling to Sarasota,” said Mayor Debbie Trice in the news release. “After a comprehensive national search and rigorous interview process, Karie rose to the top. She’s well-rounded with extensive government experience and has an approachable, capable leadership style. We’re proud to have hired the most qualified candidate while at the same time making history at City Hall,” Trice added in the release.
“I’m honored by the Commission’s confidence and excited to serve the Sarasota community,” said Friling in the release. “I believe in visible, engaged leadership — listening first, building strong relationships, and working collaboratively with commissioners, staff, local businesses, and residents,” Friling continued in the release. “I look forward to making Sarasota my home and becoming a part of this wonderful community.”
“Friling is a seasoned public sector executive” with more than 30 years of leadership experience “serving communities of varying sizes and complexity in Illinois,” the release noted. In her DuPage County position, it said, “she leads a county-wide organization of 500 employees serving more than 950,000 residents and oversees a significant capital program focused on environmental resilience, public access and sustainability.”
The release added that, prior to the start of her work with DuPage County, Friling served as village manager of Homer Glen, Illinois. She also is a credentialed manager in the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Friling’s application materials are available on the City of Sarasota website at www.Sarasotafl.gov, the release pointed out.
A few questions about the agreement
Warren Hutmacher, owner and principal of Sumter Local Government Consulting in Atlanta — the search firm that assisted city staff with the search for the new manager — appeared via Zoom during the March 23 City Commission meeting to confirm that he and his staff had “completed all of the background investigation on Miss Friling, including criminal, credit [and] reference checks …”
“Everything worked out perfectly,” he added, including the references that she had provided to the firm and other references he and his staff had checked; “folks she didn’t suggest,” he pointed out of the latter.
City Attorney Joe Polzak, who, with City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs, handled the city’s work during the search, pointed out to the board members that he had attached a copy of Sumter’s brochure about the city manager position to the draft of Friling’s employment agreement. That advertisement, he noted, included a salary range for the position. (The range was $275,000 to $295,000, “depending on qualifications and experience.”)
When Polzak asked whether any of the commissioners had questions about the employment agreement, Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch asked several.
First, she referenced a section with the heading, “Outside Employment,” which says, “FRILING agrees to devote her full working time to the performance of her duties and responsibilities under Section I of this Agreement and agrees not to engage in other employment or any contractual relationships for personal services during the period of her employment with City unless she has secured the express written consent of a majority of the Commission.”
“Is that imagined to be consulting?” Ahearn-Koch inquired of Polzak.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Just wanted to get clarification on that,” Ahearn-Koch told him.
Then, turning to Page 4, Ahearn-Koch noted that the section about paid time off discussed Friling’s receiving 40 hours “of annual leave, beginning on the first day of employment.”
“She could work a day and then take 40 hours off?” Ahearn-Koch asked Polzak.
“That’s meant to be like an advance on what she would accrue over the first year,” he responded.
“But that scenario is possible?” Ahearn-Koch questioned him, referring to her prior question.
“Correct,” Polzak told her, adding, “We’re talking about a senior executive that’s used to having a large banked [amount of personal time off], not starting from zero.”
Mayor Trice noted that language on Page 2 indicated that the city has both an auditor and a clerk, instead of combining those positions.
“I apologize,” Polzak replied. “That somehow slipped through. … I can correct that.”
Ahearn-Koch noted a similar reference near the end of the document.
Further, Ahearn-Koch pointed out, Section VI says the City Commission “may define the goals and performance objectives [for Friling] as manager for each appraisal period.”
“Shouldn’t it be ‘we will’ or ‘we shall’?” she asked.
“It was meant to be flexible,” Polzak explained his reasoning for the wording.
Yet, the City Charter calls for annual performance reviews, Ahearn-Koch told him.
“I think it should stay flexible,” Commissioner Liz Alpert interjected.
“If you feel comfortable with that language,” Ahearn-Koch told Polzak, “that’s OK.”
Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich said, “I would like to know has everything that was listed in the recruitment brochure been discussed and either included in the contract or not included — or agreed to not be included.”
“Yes,” Polzak responded.
He had held a series of “extensive discussions” with Friling, Polzak indicated. She did waive the offer of the city’s matching deferred compensation, which was noted in the advertisement, he told the commissioners.
Following the questions and answers, Ohlrich made the motion to approve the agreement with Friling, and Commissioner Alpert seconded it.