DAYTON DAILY NEWS                   Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996                 TAG: 9604120085EDITION: CITY           SECTION: NEWS        PAGE: 1A SOURCE: By Laura A. Bischoff        DAYTON DAILY NEWS                      PERO TO CITY: THANKS, BUT NO THANKS    Dayton interim city manager Maureen Pero said she will not reconsider her decision to become president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, and she urgedcity commissioners Thursday to find a city manager they can all support.   Pero said she is flattered three commissioners wanted to stop the national search and offer her the city manager job. But not all five commissioners wanther as city manager, so she will become partnership president June 10, she said.   "I'm extremely happy with my decision," Pero said.   Dayton's city manager runs an organization with a half-billion budget and 3,000 employees. But beyond the city limits, Dayton's manager is the point person for the region's airport, groundwater protection, and downtown and economic development. How Dayton operates reflects on the region, city officials say.   "Our region has to live or die together," said Pero. "For outsiders lookingin, they see Dayton as a region. From the inside, we need to see ourselves as a region." Story, Page 1B; candidate list, Page 2B.                              DAYTON DAILY NEWS                   Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996                 TAG: 9604120131EDITION: CITY           SECTION: METRO TODAY PAGE: 1B SOURCE: By Laura A. Bischoff DAYTON DAILY NEWS                     PERO'S OUT; COMMISSION SEARCHES ON              SOME COMMISSIONERS NOT IMPRESSED WITH CANDIDATES   With interim city manager Maureen Pero out of the running, Dayton City commissioners are expected to narrow a consultant's picks for city manager down to a handful of finalists this month.   The PAR Group, hired for $19,000 to help find Dayton's next city manager, will recommend eight to 12 candidates by 4 p.m. Tuesday. Commissioners are scheduled to interview finalists the first weekend in May.   Twenty-six resumes have been given to the commission so far, and more are anticipated by Tuesday, said Clerk of the Commission James L. Francis. Applicants hail from Alaska to Florida and range from experienced city managers to a Harvard-educated book author to a recent Bowling Green State University graduate.   But Commissioners Tony Capizzi and Idotha Bootsie Neal said they are unimpressed with the 26 resumes received so far. Neal said she hasn't seen anycandidates with urban experience dealing with poverty, diversity and budget challenges. If it takes more time to get more qualified candidates, Neal said she is willing to extend the search.   Capizzi, Neal and Commissioner Richard Zimmer had said they wanted Pero forcity manager. But Pero said Thursday she will not reconsider her decision to take a job heading the Downtown Dayton Partnership.   Francis said The PAR Group plans to forward more resumes this week and is negotiating with more experienced candidates.   Some candidates have been reluctant to submit their resumes because of talkthat Pero might get the job and because of a new court ruling making all the resumes public documents open for media review, Francis said.   Some candidates do not want to make their job search public out of fear of harming their current job status. Other observers said the firing of Bill Estabrook Dec. 13 after only a year on the job would hamper Dayton's ability to attract quality candidates.   Pero disagreed. "If someone is interested in the position, the fact that Bill Estabrook was terminated or that I sat in this seat will not scare someone away from applying if this is the job they want."   Recruiters had difficulty attracting qualified candidates in the last search for a city manager, after city manager Rick Helwig resigned, until consultant Richard Bennett started personally lobbying people to apply.   Eventually, Bennett recommended eight finalists from a field of 94. Commissioners interviewed four outsiders and two internal City Hall applicants.   There are no obvious internal candidates now, observers say. None have applied and commissioners agreed just after firing Estabrook they would not bring back any insiders who left during Estabrook's tenure.   Paul A. Reaume, head of The PAR Group, did not return telephone calls this week to discuss the Dayton search.BOX:                            CITY MANAGER APPLICANTS          Name and current position of applicants to be Dayton city manager:          * Edward J. Allocco, New York City housing official     * Isam Altaharweh, recent Bowling State University graduate     * Edward Badgett, recent assistant city manager, Little Rock, Ark.     * Paul G. Beecher, city manager, Dover, N.H.     * Michael J. Bloom, author of law enforcement and security books,      Arlington, Va.     * Dennis A. Blythe, U. S. Air Force operations director, Eielson AFB,      Alaska.     * Paul G. Dentiste, Planning and zoning consultant, Birmingham, Ala.     * Nicholas G. Dragisich, city administrator, Virginia, Minn.     * Joseph M. Filo, policy and management director, Stamford, Conn.     * Fred H. Hays, assistant city manager, Port Orange, Fla.     * Daniel J. Kohnen, recent bureau of architecture director for Chicago      Public Schools.     * Jim E. Lenthe, service director, Vermilion, Ohio.     * Richard Lewis, chief administrative officer, Houston, Texas.     * John C. Lovell, Franklin Twp. manager, Somerset County, N. J.     * Sherry S. Marsh, deputy county manager, Greensboro, N. C.     * James Thaddeus McDavitt, attorney and real estate broker, Cambridge,      Mass.     * Thomas Melito, business consultant, Babylon, N. Y.     * William P. Mitchell, assistant city manager, Newport News, Va.     * K. William Morr, director of streets, sanitation and electric, Aurora,      Ill.     * Patrick J. O'Connor, finance commissioner, Stamford, Conn.     * David H. Ready, city administrator, Flint, Mich.     * Paul Saaranen, administrator for mining company, White Pine, Mich.     * James H. Simms, U. S. Army officer, Peachtree City, Ga.     * Henry D. Sinda, city administrator, St. Charles, Mo.     * Jack V. Vavra, recently a bond underwriting office, Lincoln, Neb.     * Craig R. Zins, Derry Twp. manager, Hershey, Pa.     LENGTH: Long  :  102 LINESSUBJ: CITY MANAGER APPLICANTS      CANDIDATESNA: DAYTON CITY COMMISSION    MAUREEN PERO    BILL ESTABROOK    PAR GROUPGEOG: DAYTON AREAAT: RESUMESENHANCER: REF2