As Fort Worth prepares to select a new city manager, one council member has complained about the process’s lack of transparency.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Fort Worth’s longest-serving City Manager, David Cooke, announced his retirement this past summer.
“Retirement is something I’ve thought long and hard about, and I feel the timing is right,” Cooke wrote in a letter to city employees.
Cooke will continue in his role until February 2025 to help with the transition. In the coming weeks, he plans to work with council members on a plan to transition out of the role.
The city manager’s role includes implementing the city’s policies, overseeing its employees, and managing its $2.6 billion budget.
Candidate interviews were conducted in person at the old City Hall building during Tuesday’s 9 a.m. executive session meeting. Reporters from media outlets were not allowed to enter past the lobby, according to Fort Worth Report.
Council members interviewed five candidates who were selected from among 154 applicants, according to data provided by the City of Fort Worth, per FWR. The city has not identified the candidates by name, but the human resources director told FWR that four were male, one was female, two were white, two were black, and one was Hispanic.
Of the eleven council members, only Democrat councilmember Chris Nettles spoke up about issues with the process.
“An unfair process and lack of transparency on the hiring of the next City Manager. The Fort Worth Way strike again,” Nettles posted on Facebook.
Nettles wrote in an official statement released on Wednesday that he believes the hiring process “was made to end up with a decided outcome, as it was clear to me that certain Council Members had already hand picked and anointed a candidate, without allowing a fair process to take place.”
“… I am respectfully asking my Council colleagues to consider adding a phase to the hiring process which would allow for Community/Stakeholders/City Staff Leadership to meet and hear from the top 3 candidates so we can all understand their vision to lead Fort Worth,” Nettles added.