Who's replacing Camille Barnett?

With two months to go before Managing Director Camille Barnett exits city government, rumors are already swirling about who may be in line to serve next as Mayor Nutter's No. 2.

Will one of Nutter's top aides be promoted to the gig? Or will another national search kick off to recruit a manager from another municipality?

Nutter's staff stresses that no decisions have been made. Barnett's last day on the job is June 30.

Still, before getting to the question of who could take the job, it's also worth asking: Who wants it?

Traditionally, the city managing director is a major player in charge of overseeing city operations. But in Nutter's government, many of those powers have been handed to the deputy mayors, who report to both the mayor and the managing director.

Barnett, a professional city manager who previously served in Austin, Texas, and in Washington, D.C., has been largely invisible during her two years here, focusing on a few singular projects, like establishing the 3-1-1 non-emergency call center.

"The way he's structured it seems to be much more on the New York City model," said Phil Goldsmith, who was managing director under Mayor John Street. "They don't have a managing director like we do here."

Under Nutter, the deputy mayors have had visible roles. For example, when the city managed a massive parade in honor of the World Series-winning Phillies, the deputy mayor for transportation and public utilities, Rina Cutler, took media questions on the post-parade cleanup. Sometimes the mayor himself took the spotlight - as evidenced by Nutter's starring public role during the city's snow-fighting efforts over the winter.

Reviews are mixed on whether Nutter's structure works. Some insiders question the setup, noting that it has decentralized authority, which makes it harder to keep all of Nutter's talented aides moving in the same direction.

Mayoral spokesman Doug Oliver was tight-lipped on whether changes would be made to the structure.

"Right now, the mayor is taking a look at the structure of the office and is having some internal conversations about that, but he has made no decision about whether the structure would remain the same," Oliver said.

Despite her reduced public role, Barnett was one of the highest-paid workers in city government. She was hired at $195,000 a year, although, like other top Nutter administration officials, she took a voluntary pay cut due to the city's financial problems.

Although the city charter states that the managing director is the chief operating officer of the city, the scope of the job has varied by mayor. Perhaps the best example of a powerful managing director is W. Wilson Goode, who served in that post under Mayor Bill Green.

"Wilson Goode really was the chief operating officer of the city," said political consultant Larry Ceisler. "And, of course, he used that as a springboard to run for mayor."

During Mayor Ed Rendell's years, his powerful chief of staff, David L. Cohen, was his key No. 2. But under Street, managing director Goldsmith and his successor, Pedro Ramos, were both visible presences at fires or flood scenes.

Until the future of the office is clear, it's hard to know who might take over as managing director. But even in its current form, it may still be a desirable position.

"It's still a high-profile job and you still have enormous influence," Goldsmith said. "The issue is, if [Nutter]'s going to keep it the same, he has to get someone with the personality and skill set that fits with the mold he has in place."

Of course, it is too early to nail down just who the next managing director will be, and Oliver stressed that the city has not made any decisions. He also declined to comment on whether a national search would take place to fill the position.

Still, three names are making the rounds in City Hall as possible contenders. Could one of them be up for the job?

* Mike DiBerardinis: The high-octane parks-and-recreation commissioner is getting serious buzz as a potential managing director. Known for his can-do attitude, DiBerardinis is busy revitalizing city parks, playgrounds and pools, but would he take a bigger job if the terms were right? DiBerardinis stressed that there's nothing to talk about.

* Clarence Armbrister: The mayor's soft-spoken chief of staff and devoted right hand, Armbrister has been quietly running the mayor's office for two years. But given his background as Temple University's chief operating officer, some have noted that he would be a good fit for the managing-director gig also. Armbrister said that was nothing but a rumor.

* Rina Cutler: The deputy mayor for transportation and utilities, Cutler is noteworthy because she has plenty of operational experience. Before her current gig - in which she oversees the Streets and Water departments, and the airport - she served as deputy secretary for administration at PennDOT and as executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. She declined to comment for this story.