Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert’s office has repeatedly ignored questions from The Dallas Express about whether she is a candidate for the permanent position, but another news outlet has speculated that her “100-day transition playbook” is an audition for the job.
“Interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert is focused on today,” City spokesperson Rick Ericson told The Dallas Morning News in a statement. Ericson said she was working “on addressing pressing City issues including the preparation of the FY 24/25 budget.”
The former deputy city manager assumed her position as interim city manager in May when T.C. Broadnax resigned to become Austin’s city manager. She was originally appointed and teed up to take the reins on February 27 in a 12-2 vote, with Council Members Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) and Paul Ridley (District 14) voting no. Mayor Eric Johnson did not attend the meeting.
Tolbert has since implemented parts of her “100-Day Transition Playbook,” her “framework” that places emphasis on the pension system, budget, development services, communications and engagement, homelessness, and employee recruitment and retention.
The Dallas Express has reported that she has vowed to reduce each departmental budget by 6% heading into the next fiscal year after CFO Jack Ireland said the City faces a $38 million shortfall in its planned 2024-2025 budget of $4.5 billion. Tolbert has also combined the planning and permitting departments and moved the Real Estate Division of the Department of Public Works to the newly created Department of Facilities and Real Estate Management. The latter was formerly called the Building Services Department.
“This realignment will establish a comprehensive framework for the management related to the City’s vertical assets and real property,” Tolbert said in a June 28 memo. “Proper care of the City’s portfolio of assets and the proactive and thoughtful disposal of unneeded properties, returning them to the tax rolls, and supporting private development are some of the key motivators for this new approach.”
None of the 14 Dallas City Council members responded to emails asking how they view Tolbert’s job performance so far, but a few did offer their opinions to DMN.
“You want someone who knows Dallas, knows the expectations of all of our communities, and has the ability to meet them — and that’s her,” Council Member Carolyn King Arnold (District 4) said. “I believe we don’t have time to bring somebody in and teach them everything from what the city charter says to the difference between South and southern Dallas. She’s A1 from day one.”
Arnold frequently complains during council meetings that people generally do not know how South Dallas is different from southern Dallas.
Council Member Paula Blackmon (District 9) weighed in on Tolbert’s performance so far.
“She knows how to get things done,” Blackmon told DMN. “She knows how to look at it from a different perspective.”
Tolbert worked closely with Broadnax for years, including as his chief of staff. She has more than 20 years of experience in public service, including two stints with the City of Dallas. It is a resume that impressed several council members when they appointed her in February.
Blackmon also told DMN that Tolbert’s approach to her work was “not bad” but “just different,” and Council Member Gay Donnell Willis (District 13) said she got “communications whiplash from the proactive nature of engagement,” the outlet reported.
But Tolbert’s work is not widely celebrated. @DallasMatters posted on X that she is too much like Broadnax, responding to another post by @Johnalamo that her efforts to streamline services were good news.
“Too little, too late…the next real-deal CM should be making those plans and decisions. All that will be left will be loyal to Teaser’s mini-me,” @DallasMatters posted.
That post included screenshots of The Dallas Express images showing that Tolbert had blocked DX on the social media platform and another with the story headline “Prospective City Manager Kim Tolbert Preoccupied With DEI?”
In his post, @Johnyalamo said, “It’s a good sign. But remember under TC, any moves like this were met with a ‘city services will suffer’ response. That was apparently a lie the whole time.”
Both posters have a history of challenging, and even mocking, Dallas officials on how they handle issues ranging from homelessness and public safety to transportation and quality of life — the same issues DX polling shows residents care about the most.
Louis Darrouzet, CEO of the Metroplex Civic & Business Association, has told The Dallas Express the City needs “a strong city manager who can get this house in order — one who can get the City in a place so efficient they can do projects they want to get done because they already have the money.”
In June, former council member Jennifer Staubach Gates wrote in an op-ed in DMN that the next city manager must deliver on basic services and reduce taxpayer spending, which is outpacing growth:
“Sound financial management is crucial, especially considering the significant increase of the budget over the past 10 years without substantial population growth. The general fund budget has risen by approximately $707 million in that time, a 62% increase. This growth is not sustainable, particularly when shouldered by property taxes.”
The City’s fiscal year 2023-2024 budget is $4.6 billion.
“The new city manager should be tasked with presenting a plan to prioritize spending on core services and expand the tax base by creating new sources of revenue, rather than solely relying on the existing tax base,” Gates wrote. “… The value of the city lies within sanitation workers, street and traffic maintenance staff, first responders, 311 and 911 call takers, code officers, librarians and many others who interact with the public and deliver essential city services. The city is a customer-facing organization and should always function with that mindset.”
As interim city manager, Tolbert’s annual salary is $367,683. The Dallas Express reported in April that Tolbert’s social media history shows she’s sympathetic to left-wing causes, such as supporting anti-gun restrictions and policies that allegedly encourage illegal immigration. Last month, it reported Tolbert has made a number of trips to feminist conferences and “equity and inclusion” luncheons, costing taxpayers about $5,000.
Harrison Blair, president of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, did not return a message from DX seeking comment about Tolbert’s job performance and candidacy as city manager. But he told DMN that Tolbert should be the council’s only choice.
“I understand the city’s got to look at every option and kick every tire. But when the decision comes up, we hope that they see all of what we see as a community and that they make the decision based on what we believe we need as a city and as residents.”
Blair voiced his support for Tolbert when the city council appointed her interim city manager.
“We did not call for this vote, but we do ask that if there is a vote to be taken today, that you support our Deputy City Manager Kimberly Tolbert. It’s not just about how the council feels or how the mayor feels. It’s really about what’s going to happen to our top staff,” Blair said.
As reported by The Dallas Express, Blair’s organization is among a number of left-leaning groups that planned to push for Tolbert’s appointment.
“We’re also here for the long haul,” he said. “We want to see what happens with the selection of our new city manager. Kim Tolbert didn’t ask us to be here. She didn’t want us to be here. Hear us, what we say as a coalition: We want Kim Tolbert.”
The Dallas City Council contracted Chicago-based Baker Tilly to conduct the search for Dallas’ city manager. In an email, a company spokesperson said it does not release information about its searches.
“Thank you for reaching out. It is Baker Tilly’s policy not to comment on matters involving our clients.”
Typically, search firms engaged to conduct searches for city managers and school district superintendents respond to media inquiries about timelines and deadlines, job descriptions and salary ranges, and the number of applicants received. It is commonplace in Texas for firms and municipal governments not to identify the names of applicants and finalists until the end of the search and interview processes.
Once that is complete, the identities of and applications and resumes for lone finalists are subject to the Texas Public Information Act.