Dallas city manager TC Broadnax resigns after 7 years

Dallas City Manager TC Broadnax is stepping down as the city's top administrator, according to officials who spoke with NBC 5.

In a resignation letter obtained by NBC 5, Broadnax said his last day would be June 3.

"It has been my distinct honor and privilege to have served as your city manager for the last seven years. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for the support I received during my tenure," Broadnax wrote.

A city source with direct knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Broadnax’s departure told NBC 5 that three councilmembers initially spearheaded negotiations on a deal that would provide Broadnax a severance and allow the city to move forward with a search for a new manager.

NBC 5 viewed a draft statement to be released on behalf of council members who supported the exit plan. The statement said in part, “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’ interests. The dynamic between these key citywide figures has unfortunately hindered the realization of our city’s full potential, and it is imperative that we address this issue head-on in order to move forward.”

Broadnax issued a statement that did not discuss any discord. It spoke of the gratitude and support he received during his years of service.

"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 said in his statement.

In his resignation letter to the city council, Broadnax said he was committed to working with the City Council through the transition to ensure continuity of programs and projects and that services to the community are not negatively impacted.

"TC Broadnax has been city manager in Dallas for seven years. That's quite a run. City managers tend not always to last that long, let alone longer, although some serve for decades," Southern Methodist University Political Science Professor Cal Jillson said. "I really don't know that there is a particular cause other than a buildup of tension and scar tissue over seven years."

Broadnax was often at odds with Mayor Eric Johnson, who, in June 2022, tried to get the city manager removed.

The pair eventually decided to continue working together and outlined five key areas needing improvement, including permitting, public safety, the city's 911 call center, continuing to develop an economic development corporation that would elevate the city's international stature, and enhancing communication with the mayor and City Council.

This time, council member Paula Blackmon said she was one of eight council members who called on Broadnax to step down, a simple majority as required by his contract for an involuntary removal.

It came one week after the city discussed the latest bond package.

"It seems like that’s a natural place where you kind of evaluate, how did it happen? What are we going to do moving forward? I think there were some discussions with individuals about, you know, what is the best thing for our city? And what happened during those discussions was that decision to mutually move beyond what we have now," said Blackmon.

In August 2022, the City Council approved a 3% raise for Broadnax after discussing his work performance in a closed session, bumping his yearly salary to more than $423,000. Johnson and council members Paula Blackmon, Adam McGough, Cara Mendelsohn, and Gay Donnell Willis voted against the raise.

Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold told NBC 5 on Wednesday that she thought Broadnax had been a very effective and responsive leader.

"He was one of the first city managers to bring the whole philosophy around equity, so we applaud him for that. But I believe his driving force has always been to serve the people and be an agent of change, especially with the history of Dallas," Arnold said.

Dallas LULAC leader Rene Martinez said Dallas is losing a good asset in TC Broadnax. Martinez said he did not think Broadnax was not forced to resign but did so on his own.

"I don’t think we have a Mayor who has been supportive of the city manager, and our mayor, in my opinion, is totally dysfunctional," Martinez said.

Mayor Eric Johnson did not respond to an interview request but issued a statement about the manager's resignation.

“I received word of the city manager’s resignation via memo today and briefly spoke with him afterward about his decision. TC was tough — he often knew what he wanted for Dallas and would fight hard for it. And I would do the same. We did not always see eye to eye, but we still worked together to help move this city forward. After his seven years of working for our city, I want to wish him well on whatever comes next," Johnson's statement said.

Broadnax came to Dallas in 2017 after a unanimous 15-0 vote of the City Council in December 2016. Before being named the Dallas city manager, he was the city manager in Tacoma, Washington. Broadnax also held other municipal government jobs in Pompano Beach, Florida, and San Antonio.

In 2016, Broadnax told NBC 5 that he dreamed of a job in the City of Dallas since receiving his Master's in Public Administration degree from the University of North Texas in the early 1990s.

As city manager, Broadnax oversees more than 15,300 Dallas employees and an annual budget of $4 billion. The city manager's office also employs two deputy city managers, four assistant city managers, and a chief financial officer. An interim city manager has not been announced.

Mayor Johnson's statement addressed the process for replacement.

“I will have more to say about a national search for the next city manager in the days ahead. I am excited about the future for my hometown. Dallas continues to move in the right direction — something that is not true of many other major cities. With the right team in place in the years to come, we can work together to make our bustling city stronger, safer, and more vibrant."