The Austin City Council has tapped T.C. Broadnax, current Dallas City Manager, to take the reins as Austin's next city manager. The closed-door decision was revealed Tuesday night after a session of private conversations among council members.

According to KXAN, Broadnax and Sara Hensley, the city manager of Denton, were the finalists among roughly 40 applicants vying for the position. The council is set to vote on Thursday, April 4, to initiate contract negotiations with Broadnax for officially taking over the role. "Again, I know we are all deeply thankful to Sara Hensley for putting herself on the line and offering to be our City Manager," Mayor Watson wrote in the post.

Council member Zo Qadiri expressed enthusiasm about the decision, "It is very exciting that Council has reached the decision to hire T.C. Broadnax as the next City Manager for the City of Austin. We had a rigorous and lengthy discussion among Council Members, where we ultimately decided that his breadth and depth of experience, coupled with positive feedback, put Mr. Broadnax over the top," as per KXAN.

Austin’s choice of Broadnax wasn't without its concerns. A CBS Austin report pointed to his resignation from Dallas which came after a tense relationship with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and majority city council support for his departure. Addressing these concerns, District 2 City Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes said to CBS Austin, "Being a City Manager is a really tough job and you have certainly more than a handful of bosses that you have to deal with." However she felt reassured by his responses during the interview process.

Broadnax's transition from Dallas to Austin portrays a significant shift in his civic leadership journey, aiming to bring his experience in city management to the forefront in driving Austin's growth, as reflected in his statement to KXAN, "I am honored and I look forward to the City Council’s vote to allow me to serve as Austin’s next City Manager." The council vote and subsequent negotiation of his employment contract are anticipated to be a beacon for new beginnings in Austin's city management.