In a recent city council meeting, Dallas officials addressed a notable error in a draft brochure for the city manager position that mistakenly featured an image of Houston's skyline. The oversight, disclosed in council deliberations to finalize the brochure created by consultancy firm Baker Tilly, raised questions about the representation of Dallas in the crucial search for a new city executive.
City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn and Councilman Paul Ridley were among those expressing their discontent with the draft, hoping to thoroughly portray the uniqueness of Dallas. "First off, I hate this photo. I don't think it's representative of Dallas," Mendelsohn said, as per FOX 4 News. Ridley emphasized the importance of Dallas landmarks, stating, "The two most identifiable iconic features of the Dallas Skyline are Reunion Tower and the Pegasus. Those have to be in the photograph".
The contract for the national search, awarded to Baker Tilly in May for approximately $134,000, aims to find a replacement for former city manager T.C. Broadnax, who has since moved to a similar position in Austin. The interim city manager, Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, has made significant changes to the city's internal structure during her initial tenure but hasn't confirmed intentions to seek the permanent role. Council members have argued that the current eight-page brochure should be condensed to enhance clarity and appeal.
Councilmember Tennell Atkins, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs, expressed displeasure upon realizing their Dallas-centric material was compromised by the inclusion of another city's image. "I don’t know where they got the picture from, but all we’re saying is that picture doesn’t represent the city of Dallas," Atkins said, according to NBC DFW. "I didn't know it was Houston but that’s kind of disturbing," Mendelsohn added, underscoring the need for Baker Tilly to refocus on content well representative of Dallas.
Following the feedback, representatives from Baker Tilly assured that a new version of the brochure could be ready by Wednesday. This timeline is set to facilitate committee review before the public release of the brochure aiming to attract qualified candidates by the set date of September 3, as the city council continues striving to conclude the hiring process by the end of the year.
