Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax is resigning as the city’s top administrative official amid pressure by the City Council, elected officials said Wednesday.
Broadnax will leave the city June 3, and it’s not immediately clear when an interim city manager will be named, according to a joint news release from council members Zarin Gracey, Jaime Resendez, Omar Narvaez, Adam Bazaldua, Jaynie Schultz and Gay Donnell Willis.
The move comes two years after a public effort, led by Mayor Eric Johnson, to fire Broadnax and then an about-face when support on the council to boot the city manager waned.
A news release Wednesday said Broadnax’s resignation came “at the suggestion of the majority of the Dallas City Council.”
“After careful consideration, it has become apparent that the relationship between the mayor and the city manager has not been conducive to effective governance and the advancement of Dallas’ interest,” the council members’ statement said. “The dynamic between these key citywide figures has unfortunately hindered the realization of our city’s full potential and it is imperative we address this issue head-on in order to move forward.”
The mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
In an email statement to city staff, Broadnax confirmed his resignation and said he is proud of what the city has accomplished under his leadership.
“It is my hope that my departure provides the City Council an opportunity to reset, refocus, and transition to a new city manager that continues to move the city forward and will allow for a more effective working relationship with the mayor and City Council moving forward,” Broadnax wrote.
He added that he planned to working into the spring “to ensure the continuity of programs, projects and services to the community are not negatively impacted.”
Broadnax was hired in 2017 after serving as Tacoma, Washington’s city manager for five years before that. He has also worked as an assistant city manager in San Antonio and in Pompano Beach, Florida.
As Dallas city manager, Broadnax oversees the day-to-day operations of the city’s municipal government, with a $4.6 billion budget, around 13,100 employees, and over 40 departments.
Broadnax is the city’s highest paid employee, making $423,246 a year, records show. His contract also includes a $700 monthly car allowance.
According to the terms of his contract, the city has to pay Broadnax a lump sum payment equal to 12 months of his base salary, if there is an “involuntary separation” from his duties as city manager.
An involuntary separation includes his resignation “following a suggestion, whether formal or informal, by a majority of the City Council that he resign,” Broadnax’s contract says. At least eight of the 15 City Council members could have voted to fire Broadnax.
“Dallas city council members are committed to stepping into the void of leadership and working collaboratively to chart a new course for the city,” the council’s statement said. “It is essential to recognize that effective governance requires collective effort and a shared commitment to the well-being of our community.”
The statement also said the city plans a national search for a new city manager “who shares our vision for the future of our city.”
Council member Gay Donnell Willis said Wednesday in a statement to The Dallas Morning News that she was grateful for Broadnax’s service to the city and contributions. She said the council has “some important decisions” to make going forward and need to focus on the future.
“This is the best opportunity in the nation and I’m looking forward to new, adept leadership with vision,” Willis said. “Someone who over-communicates with council and the public, and who is ready to roll up their sleeves to help solve some of our city’s toughest issues.”
Police Chief Eddie García, who was hired by Broadnax in 2021, called the city manager “an exceptional leader to me.”
“I don’t know what else to say at this point, but I’d go through a wall for that man,” García said.
This story will be updated
Staff writer Kelli Smith contributed to this report.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
