The Austin City Council is poised for a key vote this Thursday to nail down TC Broadnax, the current Dallas City Manager, as Austin's new honcho, a move that could shake up the city's leadership landscape and come with a hefty price tag for taxpayers. According to CBS Austin, Broadnax, who brings over 30 years of public administration experience, is set to replace Spencer Cronk, Austin's last city manager, at a base pay that could eclipse the $388,000 Cronk was pocketing.
Broadnax's dalliance with Austin may see him hauling in more than just base pay, as Cronk's overall compensation surged north of $520,000 annually when office expenses and other benefits entered the mix, this fiscal consideration looms large over the council and Austin's taxpayers eyes fixed on their wallets. The Dallas City Manager's current annual paycheck weighs in at $423,246, notes CBS Austin, speculation is rife over just how deep into the city's reserves they will have to plunge to bring Broadnax aboard.
In the run-up to Austin's decision, Thursday's council agenda will solidify Broadnax's appointment and lay the groundwork for contract negotiations that may see him start earlier than the original June 3 departure slated for his Dallas exit. As reported by The Dallas News, closed-door discussions have taken place among Dallas officials concerning the appointment's timing and the potential severance of $423,246, Broadnax might pocket if shown the door following a council majority's persuasion.
Despite run-ins with the Dallas mayor and behind-the-scenes council calls for his resignation, Broadnax was praised for his wealth of experience in public administration and his seven-year tenure at the helm in Dallas, District 2 Representative Vanessa Fuentes expressed excitement at the prospect of Broadnax channeling his big-city management chops into Austin's fabric. "He comes with a wealth of experience – over 30 years working in public administration, most recently having led the city of Dallas for the last seven years," Fuentes extolled, in words captured by CBS Austin.
As the plot thickens and Austin anticipates its new city manager, Dallas stands in wait, arms crossed, with Council member Paula Blackmon touting interim city manager designee Kimberly Bizor Tolbert's capability, ready steps into Broadnax's shoes, although Dallas has yet to untangle the intricacies of his severance package. Nevertheless, council member Jaynie Schultz stated that awareness of contract clauses is critical for informed decisions, "We should know what’s in the contracts so that when we take an action toward any of them, we know the implication," she remarked to The Dallas News.
