DAYTON DAILY NEWS                   Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996               TAG: 9604110050EDITION: CITY           SECTION: NEWS        PAGE: 1A SOURCE: By Laura A. Bischoff DAYTON DAILY NEWS                               CITY WANTS PERO                   BUT SHE IS TO LEAD DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP   Dayton interim city manager Maureen Pero has agreed to become president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership in two months, which leaves city commissionersto look at outside candidates to manage city government.   Then again, maybe not.   Shortly after Pero announced her decision Wednesday, Commissioners Tony Capizzi, Idotha Bootsie Neal and Richard Zimmer said they will ask her Monday to reconsider. If she is willing to do so, they said, they are ready to name her city manager. Three votes are required to make the decision.   Pero declined to comment on whether she would reconsider.   "I'm not going to speculate on 'what ifs,' " she said. "I have made a decision. I've signed an agreement with the Downtown Dayton Partnership."   Pero was named interim city manager Dec. 13 after the commission voted 4-1 to fire then-City Manager Bill Estabrook. Pero took the job with the understanding she would not apply for the permanent post. Commissioners hired a consultant to recruit a new manager. But the tide began turning when commissioners started saying publicly that Pero would be considered a candidate even if she did not apply, and Zimmer said he wanted to vote for her. Then partnership officials offered the job to Pero when President Ed Armentrout announced he was taking a similar post in Memphis on April 1. Even though commissioners knew for two weeks Pero was considering the offer, it wasn't until after her announcement Wednesday that three commissioners publicly said they want her as city manager.   Mayor Mike Turner criticized the commission for the "flip flops" and said, "At this point, I would think she (Pero) would be very leery of accepting any assurances she receives from the commission." Turner, who has advocated for anoutside candidate, said he wants to continue the national search.   Commissioner Dean Lovelace said he wants to see all the candidates before making up his mind. "I'm not ready to vote for anybody," he said.   The consultant is expected to present his choice of eight to 12 finalists Monday - the same day commissioners will meet in closed session to discuss Pero. Twenty-six candidates have applied so far and some commissioners are unimpressed.   "I would agree with Bootsie. With the resumes that we've seen, none stand out as a candidate who would be given the job at City Hall and, at the same time, Maureen has shined for the last four months," Capizzi said. Neal said ifPero will not reconsider, she will ask that the search be extended to attract better candidates.   Turner, however, said: "It is my understanding from the consultant there are excellent, nationally ranked city managers interested in the job."   Partnership officials said Pero did not have a deadline for accepting that job.   Capizzi and Turner both serve on the partnership search committee. Capizzi said while he wears both hats, his primary job is as a city commissioner. Capizzi said he told Pero he believes the partnership job would be easier because she could focus her efforts - but he would prefer she be the city manager.   Pero, an attorney, had been economic development director before becoming interim city manager. She said she will be paid $125,000 a year to head the partnership, plus benefits and pay incentives. As partnership president, Pero said she wants to work on saving the downtown Elder-Beerman department store and getting occupants for the now vacant Arcade and Lazarus buildings.   Turner, who is a partnership co-chairman, said Pero has the economic development skills and ability to bring private and public sectors together todevelop downtown.   "I think she made a good move for herself. She'll be running things, instead of five people who can't agree on anything," said Montgomery County Commissioner Vicki Pegg, who serves on the partnership's search committee.Maureen Pero* AGE: 38* FAMILY STATUS: Married to attorney Edward "Ned" Dowd; two children, Patrick 6, Connor, 4.* EDUCATION: Law degree and master's in public administration from University of Dayton.* CITY HALL CAREER: Assistant city attorney 1984-88, chief general counsel 1988-89, Development Services director 1989-93, economic development director 1993-95, currently interim city manager.LENGTH: Medium:   88 LINESSUBJ: LOCAL GOVERNMENTNA: MAUREEN PERO    DOWNTOWN DAYTON PARTNERSHIPGEOG: DAYTONAT: INTERIM CITY MANAGER    ENHANCER: REF5