Dallas to interview 3 semifinalists for open city manager job
DALLAS - Three semi-finalists are expected to interview for Dallas's open city manager position next week.
FOX 4 has confirmed that current interim city manager Kim Tolbert, Fort Worth assistant city manager William Johnson, and Mario Lara, an assistant city manager in Sacramento are in the running for the position.
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and DeKalb County, Georgia COO Zachary Williams were previously named as candidates for the job, but have since pulled out of consideration.
The interviews come after contentious days at City Hall.
Some council members were displeased with the search for candidates, saying they expected to see at least 10 qualified candidates for the top job.
Dallas City Council divided over search for new city manager
The ad-hoc committee removed one of the four previously named semi-finalists, and two new finalists have been added. However, those names haven’t been made public yet.
Whoever takes the job inherits ongoing challenges with police and fire pension funding and changes to the city charter that could expose the city to more lawsuits.
Officials with Baker Tilly, the search firm conducting the search, hinted at the recently passed HERO Amendments as something that deterred possible candidates from throwing their hat into the ring.
The interviews are expected to be held on Monday, Dec. 23.
Dallas's city manager position has been open since T.C. Broadnax announced his retirement in February.
Broadnax has since gone on to become the city manager for Austin.