Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, who has served as interim Dallas city manager since last year, was offered the role permanently. The Dallas City Council voted 13-2 on the appointment during Wednesday鈥檚 meeting.
Tolbert will earn a salary of $450,000, according to the motion voted on by city officials.
She thanked her staff, city volunteers and her family for supporting her throughout her life and the search process.
鈥淚 believe that we will be a model for global excellence in how we continue to innovate鈥nd continue our focus on targeted economic growth,鈥� Tolbert said after the council鈥檚 vote. 鈥淲e will be responsive, accountable, open and honest and rebuild trust in this community.鈥�
Council members lauded Tolbert 鈥� who has served in multiple roles in several North Texas governmental agencies over decades 鈥� during the meeting.
鈥淚 intentionally went into this, knowing what we all knew,鈥� District 3 Council Member Zarin Gracey said. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure that not only were we getting the best, that we already had the best.鈥�
Carolyn King Arnold represents District 4 on the city council. She said she wanted to avoid a national search at the start 鈥� and opt to offer Tolbert the job last year.
鈥淭his has been a journey,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淚 believe that we wasted a lot of time, we should have supported and hired Ms. Kimberly Tolbert last June.鈥�
But not all council members agreed with naming Tolbert as the city鈥檚 top executive. District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn and District 14 Council Member Paul Ridley were the only officials to vote against offering Tolbert the job.
鈥淲hen I think about the decision of hiring a city manager, I see department after department that is in need of significant reform, modernization and efficiency,鈥� Mendelsohn said during the meeting. 鈥淚 wonder why small projects, like digital kiosks and city branding, are prioritized over our city鈥檚 most urgent needs.鈥�
Mendelsohn said Dallas is a city with 鈥渆xtraordinary promise鈥� but said changes in executive management was needed to bring that promise to fruition.
Other elected officials had different concerns.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 in good conditions hold my thoughts and concerns about the contract that the council has negotiated with the city manager,鈥� Ridley said during the meeting.
Ridley said he wasn鈥檛 comfortable with what he called a 鈥済olden parachute鈥� in the contract, if the city manager is fired for any reason.
That includes a two-year salary pay out, according to Ridley, who referenced backlash against paying out similar funds when former Dallas and current Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax left the city last year.
The cost would be around $900,000.
The decision comes after a contentious, chaotic and confusing search process that included almost 50 other applicants being kept from elected officials until a committee meeting last year and some finalists ultimately dropping out of the running. The process was also scrutinized by other city council members who voiced concerns over a lack of transparency.
When previously asked about his colleagues concerns, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, who chairs the city鈥檚 Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs and oversaw the search process, told 四虎影院 he didn鈥檛 鈥渒now exactly what you mean.鈥�
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said during Wednesday鈥檚 meeting that the process was conducted the right way 鈥� and said it was 鈥渦nfairly鈥� scrutinized.
鈥淲hat y鈥檃ll need to hear from the mayor is what I believe to be the truth,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭his process, as criticized as it might have been, yielded the best candidate for this position and her name is Kimberly Bizor Tolbert.鈥�
Tolbert was one of three candidates that ultimately made the list for city manager along with Fort Worth Assistant City Manager William Johnson and Sacramento Assistant City Manager Mario Lara.
Now, Tolbert will have to focus on navigating the city through financial hurdlers 鈥� like the grossly underfunded public safety pension system 鈥� and new controversial voter-led policies passed on election day.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter .
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