Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says the city shouldn鈥檛 pay out more than $400,000 in severance to former City Manager T.C. Broadnax. He raised questions in a memo to the city attorney about how Broadnax鈥檚 resignation played out.
Broadnax announced his he was leaving the city in late-February 鈥渇ollowing suggestions that [he] resign by a majority of the City Council,鈥� according to a news release from that time.
A memo sent by Broadnax a few weeks after the announcement detailed who he'd talked to 鈥� and when 鈥� about the decision. That memo categorized the meetings as council members suggesting he resign.
Johnson's memo said that the suggestion to resign triggered a clause in Broadnax鈥檚 contract that would require the city to pay a 鈥渓ump sum鈥qual to twelve (12) months of this then-current base salary.鈥�
鈥淚 am writing to express my opposition to the City of Dallas paying any severance to Mr. Broadnax,鈥� Johnson鈥檚 memo said. 鈥淭he background and timeline of these events raise serious questions about the legitimacy of this alleged 鈥榠nvoluntary separation鈥�.鈥�
Johnson cited a late-February which alleges Broadnax worked with council members to orchestrate his resignation. The story does not explicitly state source of the information 鈥� only attributing the details of the plan to 鈥渇our Dallas City Council member who spoke with WFAA.鈥�
鈥淭his account has yet to be denied by Mr. Broadnax or by any of the City Councilmembers who were reportedly involved. WFAA has not retracted the story, nor have they issued any corrections,鈥� Johnson said in his memo. 鈥淭here has been no indication anyone has asked them to do so.鈥�
四虎影院 reached out to Broadnax for comment through the City of Austin media office.
"Austin City Manager, T.C. Broadnax will not be discussing the Dallas Mayor's opposition to severance being paid," a City of Austin spokesperson told 四虎影院 in an email.
四虎影院 also reached out to the City of Dallas for comment on Johnson鈥檚 memo and the allegations surrounding Broadnax鈥檚 resignation. A city spokesperson said the City Manager's Office 鈥� now led by former Broadnax deputy Kimberly Bizor Tolbert 鈥� "has no comment."
Johnson said that all the council members Broadnax identified as suggesting he resign have 鈥渂oth publicly and privately stated support for him and his work as the city manager.鈥� And some of them have previously voted to approve a raise for Broadnax, Johnson added.
Shortly after Broadnax鈥檚 announcement, other details of where he鈥檇 end up next started to emerge. In March, that the Austin City Council had tapped Broadnax to become the city鈥檚 next city manager.
"I am honored and I look forward to the City Council鈥檚 vote to allow me to serve as Austin鈥檚 next City Manager," Broadnax was quoted saying at the time. "With the continued growth of our state鈥檚 capital city, I am mindful of the critical needs we must urgently address and I am committed to doing so with a collaborative, transparent, inclusive and equitable approach."
Broadnax will make a salary of $470,000 in Austin. That鈥檚 among the largest city manager salaries in Texas,
Johnson鈥檚 memo questioned the somewhat quick turnaround from Broadnax鈥檚 resignation announcement to the news that he would become Austin鈥檚 city manager. He said it was planned just as WFAA reported it.
鈥淚f this is indeed the case 鈥� as the available evidence currently supports 鈥� it is wholly inaccurate to characterize Mr. Broadnax's separation as 鈥榠nvoluntary鈥�,鈥� Johnson writes. 鈥淭herefore, the severance clause鈥hould not apply, and the City of Dallas should have no obligation to pay Mr. Broadnax nearly half a million dollars from Dallas鈥� taxpayers.鈥�
Johnson tasked the city attorney to clarify the following:
鈥淐onsidering the highly questionable nature and background of Mr. Broadnax鈥檚 resignation, should Mr. Broadnax be paid severance pay from the City of Dallas?鈥�
Broadnax started as Austin鈥檚 city manager earlier this month.
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