The city of Dallas is not stranger to national news for it’s political tactics and this weekend’s meet and greet for the new City Manager was certainly one for the books. DW stopped by one of the meet-and-greet meetings hosted for residents of Dallas to get to know the candidates vying for the position.
Historically, the city of Dallas selects its City Manager through an appointment process conducted by the Dallas City Council. The city manager is not an elected official but a professional administrator hired to oversee the daily operations of the city government. The selection process typically involves a nationwide search to identify qualified candidates with extensive experience in public administration, city planning, and fiscal management. After narrowing down the pool of applicants, the city council conducts interviews and evaluates the candidates based on their leadership skills, experience, and vision for the city’s growth and development. Once selected, the city manager serves at the discretion of the city council and is responsible for implementing council policies, preparing the annual budget, and managing city departments and services.
So how did we get here? The process of selecting Dallas’s next city manager has been fraught with confusion and internal disputes. Two factions within City Hall have clashed over how the process should be handled. One group supports Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, who has emphasized the need for a unified approach led entirely by the search committee. However, controversy arose when it was revealed that Atkins had instructed the search firm to withhold the names of applicants, prompting other elected officials to step in. After three unsuccessful attempts to access the applicants’ names, District 9 Council Member Paula Blackmon criticized the process during a December meeting, citing a lack of transparency.
In November of 2024, there were about 50 candidates vying for the position. And one of the candidates was Kim Bizor Tolbert, who has been serving as City Manager Interim since T.C. Broadnax departure in May for a position at the Texas capitol. After a search conducted by Baker Tilly, the third-party firm, selected Kim Tolbert, William Johnson and Mario Lara.
So after all of that, the meet-and-greet’s intentions are to alleviate an (additional) confusion for the public about who the candidates are and who can do the job.
Tolbert’s record in Dallas is extensive in Dallas, as she is considered the “favorite” in this race. She has served as deputy city Manager and chief of staff. Although, her resume reflects her knowledge of Dallas city politics, some aspects of her record remain concerning to the public. One question that was brought up during a Q&A session was Tolbert’s salary of over $304k (which was already budgeted by former city Manager T.C. Brodnax). Another criticism towards Tolbert was her plan of action for the first 100 days within her first week as the interim City Manager, which heavily centered around a new organizational chart, staffed with people she knew very well. Tolbert gave numerous statements to her accomplishments battling homelessness as deputy city manager and developing a new budget as the interim city manager. She has confidence when it comes to the job, which is somewhat expected due to her decades-long tenure in the city of Dallas.
Fort Worth’s William Johnson is one of the three candidates looking to be the next City Manager for Dallas. Johnson formerly served as the assistant City Manager for Fort Worth and has had administrative roles in Atlanta and Baltimore. Johnson was also asked about his financial history, but did not comment on the topic.
And finally, hailing from California is Sacramento Assistant City Manager Mario Lara. The only non-Texan vying for the job. Lara believes this can be an advantage for him. He spoke to his parents growing up in Belize and the memories that impacted his mission as a politician today. Lara is well aware of Mayor Johnson’s political stance, Johnson’s support of the Trump administration and the potential policies that could be presented on immigration.
All three candidates spoke to public safety, the city’s infrastructure needs and what their immediate changes would be if given the position. Both Tolbert and Johnson spoke to the city’s need for a new police chief while Lara placed emphasis on an improved administration top down.
Hopefully this meeting will allow the city council to move on a decision. It is now 2025 and there is work to do.