Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax will keep his position for the time being following Mayor Eric Johnson's statement that he should be fired earlier this month.
In a joint announcement Tuesday, Johnson and Broadnax said they had reached an agreement to move forward together.
“A little over a week ago, I said that it was time for a change at the top of our city government,” Johnson said. “I still believe we need change. But after some serious and frank discussions with our city manager, I believe he is ready to make the necessary changes to address issues that are critically important to our residents.”
Broadnax came under fire following his response to criticism of the city’s beleaguered construction permitting process. The Dallas Morning News reported on June 10 that Johnson felt Broadnax needed to be fired.
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Broadnax acknowledged in Tuesday's statement that he didn't handle things "up to [his] own standards."
“I take full responsibility for addressing the issues that are critical to the long-term success of the city. I recognize that our problems are not just about what the media reports, but how we perform," Broadnax said.
The city's news release highlighted the following five areas of improvement.
- Permitting: The city manager will develop a clear action plan for fixing the city’s development services backlogs and delays on an expedited timeline. The plan will incorporate feedback from builders and developers and focus on improving the customer experience. It will also focus on both short-term triage and systemic change that will ensure smoother operations in the future.
- Public safety: The city manager and the mayor are committing to working together to make Dallas the safest major city in the United States. The city manager is committing to active and timely meet-and-confer negotiations with police and firefighters. The mayor and the city manager will also collaborate on improving community-based public safety initiatives such as violence interruption services, blight remediation, and lighting improvements in high-crime areas.
- 911 call center: The city manager will continue to make improvements to the 911 call center to ensure reliable, efficient, and high-quality service and public safety for residents.
- Focus on high-priority issues: The city manager and mayor will work collaboratively to address top citywide issues, such as enhancing the city’s international stature, continuing to develop an Economic Development Corporation that puts the City of Dallas’ economic interests first, and passing and implementing the mayor’s policy priorities for City Council’s committees.
- Communication: The city manager will enhance communication about progress on top priority issues. The city manager will also develop a protocol for surfacing problems for City Council discussions. The mayor and city manager will begin meeting on a biweekly basis to discuss major issues, priorities, and progress.
A review of Broadnax's job performance will take place in August.
