Who is T.C. Broadnax? What we know about the man recommended for Austin city manager

Editor's note: This story has been updated to indicate that Broadnax has been recommended by an Austin City Council subcommittee to be the next city manager of Austin.

Weeks after it was made public that Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax planned to leave his executive-level city job in June, he was named a finalist for the same position in Austin.

Now, he's been recommended by a subcommittee of Austin City Council members for the city manager role in Austin.

More: Austin City Council subcommittee recommends T.C. Broadnax be Austin's next city manager

Broadnax, who served as Dallas’ city manager for seven years, has made a career in city management, working previously as the city manager of Tacoma, Wash., and the assistant city manager of San Antonio and Pompano Beach, Fl.

His resignation came after a recommendation from a majority of the Dallas City Council. A joint news release from several City Council members cited ongoing issues between Broadnax and Mayor Eric Johnson, stating, “It has become apparent that the relationship between the mayor and the city manager has not been conducive to effective governance and the advancement of Dallas’ interests," The Dallas Morning News reported.

More: Five things to know about T.C. Broadnax, the man likely to be Austin's next city manager

Broadnax formally applied for the position in Austin days after announcing his resignation.

"As a convener and connector, I understand the level of leadership that the City Manager’s Office must exhibit and embrace all the challenges and responsibilities that it entails," Broadnax wrote in his application letter that was obtained by the American-Statesman through the Texas Public Information Act. "I am committed to local government and eager to work in partnership with the Mayor and City Council to advance the City of Austin and take the city to the next level."

Broadnax declined to do an interview with the Statesman on his candidacy for the Austin city manager position.

He was one of 39 applicants for Austin's top-executive role that oversees the daily operations of the 10th largest city in the country.

The other finalist was Sara Hensley, the current city manager of Denton.

More: Who is Sara Hensley? Here's why Denton's city manager is a finalist for the role in Austin

Brian Platt, the city manager of Kansas City, Mo., was previously named as a finalist for the position, but later withdrew from consideration.

More: Read more: Kansas City's city manager, Brian Platt, withdraws from Austin top job consideration

Here’s what we know about Broadnax.

Running a major metropolitan city

Broadnax, after seven years on the job in Dallas, made headway in bringing equity to the city, two Dallas City Council members that spoke with the Statesman about Broadnax said of him, one citing the city's first-ever racial equity plan that was implemented under Broadnax.

More: Austin is getting close to hiring a new city manager. Here's everything you need to know.

In addition to his focus on equity, a transportation department and office to address homelessness were established during his tenure, The Dallas Morning News reported.

He received backlash over the years for the city's building permit process, the city's response to the deletion of millions of Dallas Police Department files, as well as the number of homeless encampments in the city, the News reported.

In his cover letter, Broadnax shared his efforts to address homelessness and transportation. He said he strengthened the city's approach to economic development and provided leadership in the city's public safety efforts, writing about the establishment of the city's Office of Community Police Oversight that occurred during his tenure.

Dallas' Office of Community Police Oversight, which was established in 2019, is facing several issues, The Dallas Morning News recently reported, including a lower budget than in most other major U.S. cities, a high turnover rate, and communication and transparency issues.

Among other issues with policing and public safety in Austin, the city is also facing issues with its own Office of Police Oversight.

Austin voters in 2023 overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative, known as Prop A, to increase police oversight. Some community members say the city isn't moving fast enough to implement it. In December, the group Equity Action that helped get the item on the ballot filed a lawsuit against the city for not implementing aspects of the Austin Police Oversight Act.

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza came under fire last year when he appointed a permanent director to the office, reneging on his promise to conduct a national search for the post.

The next city manager would be in charge of overseeing the implementation of Prop A and could potentially begin work amid the city's negotiations with the Austin Police Association, if a contract is not finalized under Garza's watch. The first day of negotiations is March 13.

The potential move to Austin and managing a billion-dollar budget

If selected as Austin’s next city manager, Broadnax would be making a jump to a city with a smaller population, but a larger budget and more employees.

Dallas, a city of around 1.3 million people, has about 15,300 city employees and a budget over $4 billion, according to a 2023 city document.

Austin has a population of just under 1 million and continues to be one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country.

The city has more than 16,000 employees, and this past year the Austin City Council approved a record budget of $5.5 billion, according to the city manager's website.

One of the key responsibilities of city managers is overseeing the drafting of the annual budget, which is later approved and amended by the City Council. Austin could be in a precarious financial situation in the coming years, with the looming end of federal funding granted during the pandemic.

More: Read more: Austin could see a budget deficit as tax revenue falls short of projections

However, it is unclear if the next city manager will oversee the fiscal 2024-25 budget.

While Watson has said the City Council hopes to have selected a candidate in early April, that is not necessarily when they would start. Watson said in a December post to the City Council message board that whomever they select might not be able to start immediately and that they might pick a start date later in the year so that they have completed the budget.

For Broadnax, as his last day in Dallas is early June, it’s unlikely he would begin during the budget process which is well underway in the summer months. If that were the case, Garza, the interim city manager, would oversee the drafting of the coming fiscal year's budget.

Broadnax's annual salary in Dallas is $423,246, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Working with elected officials

The Statesman contacted all 14 Dallas City Council offices and the Dallas mayor's office seeking comment on Broadnax being a finalist for the position in Austin. Council Members Carolyn King Arnold and Omar Narvaez were the only two that accepted interview requests.

Narvaez, a Dallas City Council member elected in 2017, praised Broadnax’s work as a city manager in an interview with the Statesman, saying he had an excellent relationship with him, that he was easy to work with and was “phenomenal for bringing equity to our city.”

Narvaez touted Broadnax’s achievements in equity as it relates to the city government and policy implementation, speaking to the city's racial equity plan, the first climate action reduction plan that was approved by the City Council and several city infrastructure projects.

“He doesn't just think equity, he breathes it, he lives it, he is it,” Narvaez said. “We created a lot of amazing policy under him, with him being our city manager.”

Arnold, who said she was in office when Broadnax was first hired, also echoed sentiments about his work on equity in Dallas. She said she was impressed with his skill set and professionalism during his interview for the position.

Both said they felt he would be a good fit in Austin.

"I think Austin stands the chance of getting a great city manager who's very versed in his craft," Arnold said. "He is not afraid to speak his mind, he's not afraid to get out of the community, and I believe he just really loves what he's doing."

Broadnax's exit from Dallas

Broadnax’s exit comes after years of conflict with the Dallas mayor, who was first elected in 2019 and led an unsuccessful attempt to oust Broadnax two years ago.

Narvaez said Broadnax called him the night before he announced his resignation and told him a majority of the council had approached him.

“I was blindsided by it,” Narvaez said, adding that he offered to help him save his job like he did two years ago when Johnson pushed to oust him.

Narvaez said when he offered his help, Broadnax told him, “No.”

"He (said), 'Councilman, I’m done. I don't want to have to go through this anymore and I've done what I can do here in the city of Dallas,'” Narvaez said.

Days later, Broadnax formally submitted his application for the job in Austin. The original deadline for applications was supposed to be Feb. 12, but it was pushed back to Feb. 26, according to a March 1 post from Watson on the council message board. The rationale behind extending this deadline, Watson said in his post, was to allow potential candidates more time to evaluate the opportunity.

Broadnax submitted his cover letter and résumé on Feb. 25, application records reviewed by the Statesman show.

“We just got to a point where I think that some council members decided that we needed a reset and move forward," Narvaez said.

Arnold shared similar sentiments, telling the Statesman: "He's raised the bar. He's exposed some of the inequities that we've dealt with in Dallas for some time, and I think it was just ... time for him to move on."

Dallas-area TV station WFAA 8 reported that, at a public event after news of his resignation, Broadnax said he did get along with Johnson, but that they differed on policy. He added that he wished their relationship had been better and that it would have benefited the city more if it had been a working relationship.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who is T.C. Broadnax? What we know about Austin city manager finalist