The Dallas City Council was scheduled to host two meetings on Monday to discuss the continued search for a City Manager. However, one of these meetings was canceled after multiple council members chose not to attend.
Dallas City Council Members Paula Blackmon, Jaynie Schultz, and Gay Donnell Willis requested a Special Called Meeting of the Dallas City Council to expedite the process of finding the person most suited for the role of Dallas City Manager, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In addition to Blackmon, Schultz, and Willis, City Council Member Omar Narvaez and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua were each in attendance. However, no other members of the City Council chose to attend the meeting.
Bazaldua provided a statement to The Dallas Express expressing his “disappointment in the outcome” of the canceled meeting and writing that a city council member’s “first responsibility is to show up when called.”
“Over the past few weeks, much has been said about processes and procedures, yet when a meeting is scheduled, not enough members attended to move forward. This neglect disregards the responsibilities entrusted to us by the city charter and undermines the process of our government,” Bazaldua added.
“Hiring a city manager is one of the most critical duties of any city council member. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to ensure this process is prioritized and completed swiftly. Many of our executive city staff, who shape the vision and direction of our city, are serving in interim roles. It is imperative that we secure permanent and stable leadership to address long-standing challenges.”
A memorandum signed by the three council members stated that the goal of this meeting was to “interview Baker Tilly semifinalist and discuss qualifications of the candidates and deliberate the appointment of the City Manager.”
The ongoing search for a new city manager has been met with criticism following a report by the Baker Tilly search firm detailing just four candidates who would fit the job specifications.
Questions regarding the legitimacy of the search have now been raised after council members said they expected to receive a list of roughly ten candidates for the role.
The Ad Hoc Administrative Affairs Committee held a secondary meeting on this topic at 1 p.m. on December 16, which aimed to “deliberate the qualifications of candidates for the city manager position provided by Baker Tilly and recommend a list of final candidates to be considered by city council.”
Although this meeting did not determine the future Dallas City Manager, it helped lay the foundations of what the city council members want to obtain for one of the most important positions in the city’s government.