Kim Tolbert picked to be Dallas’ next city manager

Kim Tolbert

The woman who has been acting as the Dallas city manager since May was picked to do the job permanently.

What we know:

Dallas City Council members met behind closed doors on Wednesday morning to discuss hiring one of the three finalists for the role -- interim Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert, assistant Fort Worth City Manager William Johnson, or assistant Sacramento City Manager Mario Lara.   

After that deliberation, they publicly voted to offer Tolbert a $450,000 contract.

What they're saying:

"I want to thank the City Council for their confidence in me to lead this city as we evolve on the world stage, with a thriving and inclusive community that sets the standard for excellence," Tolbert said after being selected.

Mayor Eric Johnson said he's proud to support Tolbert.

"As interim city manager for the past 10 months, Tolbert has streamlined city operations, improved government efficiency, reduced taxpayer waste, and delivered a budget with the largest single-year property tax rate reduction in Dallas history," he said.

Wednesday's vote was not unanimous, though. 

Council member Cara Mendelsohn said she thinks Dallas needs changes to reach its potential.

Council member Paul Ridley also voted no, saying he could not vote for a contract provision that would give a $900,000 golden parachute in the event Tolbert is terminated by the council.

What's next:

As the new city manager, one of Tolbert’s first tasks will be to find new police and fire chiefs for the city.

She’ll also have to contend with several new ballot measures approved by voters. One of them gives the city less spending flexibility when it comes to public safety. 

Who is Kim Tolbert?

Many considered Tolbert the frontrunner, in part because of her familiarity with the job. She’s been doing it in the interim capacity since former City Manager T.C. Broadnax left for a job in Austin.

During a public meet and greet, Tolbert emphasized that Dallas is already her home.

She’s held finance and administration roles in the city and has served as the deputy city manager and chief of staff to the city manager.

"This is a full circle moment for me because I started my career with the city of Dallas as an intern 32 years ago. And at my core, I’m a champion for this city. I came from Tyler, Texas as a budding rose. And Dallas allowed me to bloom," she said.

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As the interim city manager, she was a key figure in this year's budget process.

"I laid out a proactive 100-day plan. We started with a budget deficit of $38 million, and we worked to close that gap. I restructured the organization, streamlined operations saving you $13 million," she said.

Tolbert said the budget put public safety first while funding the pension commitment to first responders.

"I also worked to ensure we delivered the largest property tax reduction in modern history of this city with a unanimous city council vote," she said.

Tolbert will be the first Black woman to serve as city manager.

The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas City Council meeting and past news stories.

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