Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax may get fired next week if a proposed closed-door meeting on Wednesday doesn’t go his way.
In memos first reported by the Dallas Morning News, Mayor Eric Johnson and three council members have requested special meetings next week to discuss and evaluate Broadnax's performance.
“I believe it is time for a change in city management,” Johnson said in a statement.
The three council members – Cara Mendelsohn, Paula Blackmon, and Gay Donnell Willis – want to “consider taking appropriate action related to the performance of the City Manager including discipline or removal," their memo states.
There's been some tension at Dallas City Hall for some time. Johnson and many council members have criticized Broadnax for not fixing the city's broken building permitting system. Developers and business owners have complained that delays in getting a permit slows the building of new houses and apartments – a major concern during a housing shortage.
Broadnax has also been under fire for not communicating fast enough with the council about last year's massive data loss.
In a statement, Broadnax said “periodic performance review” is important to him “to demonstrate progress and ensure transparency for our residents, taxpayers, and stakeholders. I am proud of the hard work which has led to [the] accomplishment of many goals related to the City Council's eight strategic priorities."
Mendelsohn, who represents Far North Dallas, told D Magazine that “the citizens of Dallas deserve to have a well-managed city.” She also said believes there are eight votes to remove Broadnax, although “things could change.”
Broadnax has had the job since 2017.
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