NPR for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dallas inspector general discharged less than three months after hiring

Seal for the City of Dallas on the front of a podium in Dallas City Hall
Ed Timms
/
KERA News
Seal for the City of Dallas on the front of a podium in Dallas City Hall

The Dallas City Council voted to discharge Timothy J. Menke as inspector general effective Sept. 26 — less than three months after his hiring.

While Menke has served in inspector general offices, he does not meet the qualification for the inspector general in the city charter, according to the resolution on Wednesday's meeting agenda. The charter calls for the position to be filled by an attorney.

The decision was made after weeks of closed session deliberation over "the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, or dismissal of the Inspector General."

The City Council unanimously approved Menke's removal without discussion.

Menke was appointed on June 11 and started his role June 30.

When he was appointed, Johnson said in a news release that he was confident that the office of inspector general would better serve Dallas residents and their trust in government.

The office of the inspector general was first created in 2021 with Bart Bevers hired as the first to take on the role in 2022.

Dallas voters approved a proposition last year that established an independent inspector general — previously it was a role that was hired as a division of the city.

Part of Proposition L requires that the inspector general should be a "competent practicing attorney."

The job listing for the role does not specify the requirement for applicants to be practicing attorneys and says a master’s degree or doctorate of jurisprudence is "preferred."

Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona@kera.org.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you!

Megan Cardona is a daily news reporter for KERA News. She was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and previously worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.