Yesterday, the Dallas City Council sent off outgoing City Manager T.C. Broadnax during what is likely his final council meeting in Dallas. He’ll start in Austin as its city manager on May 6. His resignation is frequently tied to his relationship with Mayor Eric Johnson, which has been marked by attempted firings, arguments, and poor communication.
But to hear the mayor tell it, the media is the real reason everyone thinks that Broadnax and Johnson can’t get along. The council recognized Broadnax yesterday morning, and Johnson’s remarks were, well, interesting.
The mayor said that he and Broadnax actually agreed about “90 percent” of the time. “That’s not a secret,” he said and then claimed that the media didn’t write about the “wins” that happened while he and Broadnax were at the helm. He pointed to several policies and moves the city has adopted over the past five years, including its racial equity plan, its approach to environmental issues, economic development opportunities, the importance placed on parks, and improvements in crime rates. Those things, he argued—incorrectly—didn’t get attention from journalists.
“The media is going to feast on those times when we’ve not agreed,” he said. “But I am going to acknowledge that there have been times that we haven’t, that 10 percent is real. I believe that the times we’ve disagreed have been very much overblown and very much exaggerated and played up for various reasons.”
He continued: “I get what people have to write to get people to click on stories in a dying industry. You got to write what you got to write to try and keep food on your family’s table. But I deal in the reality of public policy making. I’ve been doing it for 14 straight years.”
Let’s dissect that. For one, the current narrative that the mayor and the city manager’s relationship had grown so dysfunctional that they could no longer effectively conduct city business came from six of his colleagues. They took the extraordinary step of drafting the announcement (which you can read in its entirety here) that Broadnax would step down at the council’s request.
In the announcement, councilmembers Jaime Resendez, Jaynie Schultz, Omar Narvaez, Adam Bazaldua, Zarin Gracey, and Gay Donnell Willis said they asked Broadnax to resign because “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 dynamic between these key citywide figures has unfortunately hindered the realization of our city’s full potential, and it is imperative that we address this issue head-on in order to move forward.”
At least seven (Councilmember Paula Blackmon didn’t sign but said she would support the effort) of Johnson’s colleagues said the situation between the mayor and Broadnax had become untenable. None of them, obviously, are members of the media.
“In order to have a successful city, the mayor and the city manager have to work together,” said Blackmon, who served as chief of staff under Mayor Mike Rawlings and deputy chief of staff in Mayor Tom Leppert’s office. “When you have a dysfunctional relationship, you get chaos.”
As recently as December, the mayor publicly berated Broadnax in a memo about the city staff’s approach to bond recommendations in an initial briefing. (The mayor was absent during that meeting.)
In 2022, Johnson was the tip of the spear in an effort to fire Broadnax outright. It fizzled after some council members walked back their support of the effort, leaving the mayor without a majority. The two talked, reportedly at Broadnax’s behest, and hashed out a plan to improve their communication. (Incredibly, the pandemic revealed that the two had only been communicating by memo and things Johnson tweeted.) It is unclear if the mayor and Broadnax continued to meet, or how frequently.
“I know my team and I can be better,” Broadnax said at the time. “I understand that I am fully accountable to my 15 bosses. So today, I want to say to the mayor, to the members of the City Council, and to all the residents of this dynamic city: I accept the challenge.”
Clearly, the discord between the two was serious enough that even those on the horseshoe felt it was hampering the city’s ability to do business. There is concern among some on the City Council, who haven’t agreed to speak on the record, that if Johnson has similar issues working with Broadnax’s replacement, “it will be pretty clear” where the problem lies.
This wouldn’t be the first time Johnson prevaricated. For instance, he’s misrepresented how many Dallas residents voted for him in last May’s election on numerous occasions. After he missed a bond briefing in January, he claimed that he couldn’t attend virtually because “state law says the presiding officer cannot attend the meeting virtually.” In reality, state law would allow him to attend, but the mayor or mayor pro tem would need to preside over the meeting.
For his part, Broadnax told those attending a recent LULAC breakfast that he felt he got along with Johnson. But he also said that he and the mayor did not have a good “working relationship similar to my first two years”—which were spent working alongside Mayor Mike Rawlings.
“I wish it had been better,” he said. “But that did not happen.”
Wednesday, after he was done blaming the media for not reporting about the good things the city had accomplished, Johnson praised Broadnax. It’s something he rarely did prior to Broadnax’s announced departure.
“I think the city of Dallas is better off for our partnership and I want to say thank you, T.C.,” he said. “I just want to tell you I appreciate you.”
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