T.C. Broadnax's tenure as Dallas city manager had some rough spots 鈥� including a sometimes contentious relationship with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. And when members of the city council suggested that he resign, he did.
Now, less than four months later, three high-profile city officials also have left to join him in Austin.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia is only the most recent 鈥� and city officials say they didn't know about his plans to leave until it was made public far away from Dallas.
In a Thursday text sent to council members 鈥� and obtained by 四虎影院 鈥� Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert said she had just found out about the resignation.
"Although I wish it was not so, the Austin City Manager has released a memorandum to the City Council confirming his new appointment as an Assistant City Manager," Tolbert said in the text.
鈥淚 was not blindsided in the career choice, I was blindsided in where [Garcia] went,鈥� District 9 Council Member Paula Blackmon told 四虎影院.
Blackmon said she knew Garcia wanted to go into public administration and wasn鈥檛 surprised at the position 鈥� but said "the way it all went down" was concerning.
鈥淚 mean, we get a memo from Austin, and I guess there hadn鈥檛 been communication back here in Dallas,鈥� Blackmon said. 鈥淭hat was a little alarming.鈥�
Since Austin came out with the announcement before Dallas, Blackmon said it didn鈥檛 leave any room for city officials to 鈥渃ounteroffer鈥� 鈥� which she said she hoped could have been worked out.
The shakeup also comes just months after the city penned a deal with Garcia to keep him in the city. It didn鈥檛 include a raise in salary, but promised him $10,000 every six months to stay with the city.
And in mid-May, Garcia accepted the offer and committed to staying in Dallas until at least May 2027.
鈥淭o live and work in Dallas is to love Dallas,鈥� Garcia was quoted in a May press release. 鈥淭his is the right place to complete my service, and I know your police officers are honored to serve Dallas residents. We will keep doing our jobs with excellence and results.鈥�
Garcia followed up the next day posting 鈥淗ome =@DallasPD鈥� on X.
The agreement was signed by Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert after speculation that Garcia could be lured away to a different city. Tolbert took over as the city鈥檚 top executive after Broadnax resigned as city manager. Broadnax resigned earlier this year to take the top spot in Austin.
鈥淭his was complicated, but we got it done,鈥� Tolbert said at the time. 鈥淚f this was NFL Football, we were able to keep Chief Garcia on the Dallas Team; he鈥檚 the right quarterback to lead our police department. We certainly didn鈥檛 want to lose him to free agency.鈥�
But the speculation turned out to be true 鈥� and Garcia will join his former boss in Austin.
Garcia joins a list of other high-ranking Dallas officials that have left for Austin after Broadnax鈥檚 resignation. In late May, then-Dallas Deputy City Manager Jon Fortune and Genesis D. Gavino 鈥� who was serving as the city manager鈥檚 chief of staff at the time 鈥� both announced their resignations.
The same day, Broadnax announced their appointments to Austin鈥檚 executive leadership team.
And Garcia鈥檚 departure has unfolded almost the same way.
鈥淚 am pleased to announce the appointment of Edgardo (Eddie) Garcia as Assistant City Manager, effective November 4, 2024,鈥� said Broadnax in a Thursday memo to Austin鈥檚 mayor and city council.
Broadnax said Garcia would oversee the city鈥檚 public safety portfolio including the police and fire department and the Austin and Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
Now, city officials are starting to plan for what seems to have been an unplanned departure.
鈥淲e鈥檙e positioned well, [Garcia] has done a great job in bringing forth strategies and putting people in positions,鈥� Blackmon said. 鈥淚 feel the bench is deep and it鈥檚 fine鈥Tolbert] is probably working hard on figuring out what that is.鈥�
The city is facing many issues related to policing including remedying the grossly underfunded police and fire pension system, planning for the possible implementation of charter amendments that would significantly affect the police department 鈥� and now, finding a new police chief.
鈥淗is departure comes at an absolutely critical time,鈥� Blackmon wrote in a text to 四虎影院. 鈥淚n November Dallas voters will have the chance to consider three dangerous charter amendments.鈥�
Blackmon said some of those amendments, placed on the ballot with a petition by a group called Dallas HERO, would overburden the police department鈥檚 resources by mandating the hiring of an additional 900 officers.
Blackmon called the amendment 鈥渁n unrealistic and arbitrary number鈥� that will 鈥減ut the city in financial chaos.鈥�
鈥淭his council has been deeply committed to hiring and retaining quality officers at DPD and these so-called HERO Propositions would jeopardize our ability to recruit, retain and train top talent,鈥� Blackmon said. 鈥淚ncluding a police chief.鈥�
Garcia has previously said how the three amendments could significantly affect the police department 鈥� especially when it comes to hiring officers.
鈥淲hen it comes to hiring 900 officers in one fell swoop, that does come with several administrative challenges for us in one year,鈥� Garcia said at an early-August city council meeting. 鈥淩ecruiting is one part of this, but just as important鈥s retention.鈥�
Garcia said at the time that even if the department meets its current hiring goal of 250 new officers, with at least 190 officers leaving the department annual, reaching 4,000 officer total would take about 15 years. Garcia emphasized the need for a 鈥渟low growth鈥� of the police department.
District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua had similar thoughts on what could be coming down the road for the city.
鈥淚 worry that the charter amendments that will appear on the November ballot, known as the HERO propositions, have impacted this decision,鈥� Bazaldua told 四虎影院 in a text. 鈥淚 worry this is the first of many resignations to come from talented staff.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter .
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