New Austin City Manager Discusses Priorities: Police, Homelessness and More

A Fresh Perspective in the Manager’s Office

Effervescent with a fresh vision, T.C. Broadnax recently assumed his position as Austin’s City Manager, appointed by the City Council. Drawing from his vast experience as Dallas’s previous city manager, he has already ventured into building a robust leadership team at City Hall by nominating some of his trusted staff in Dallas.

Broadnax recently shared his approach and commitment to dealing with Austin’s challenges, emphasizing police force reforms, tackling homelessness, and other top priorities. The manager gave an insight into the role he will play as the Chief Executive in Austin’s mayor-council government.

Finding a New Police Chief

Stepping into the shoes of city manager, one of Broadnax’s initial tasks was to kick-start the search for Austin’s new police chief. When asked about the urgency of this move, he iterated the importance of a steady, strong leadership that can stabilize the city’s police department.

The ideal candidate, according to Broadnax, will exhibit commitment towards community expectations related to police accountability, oversight and will be responsive towards modifying their leadership approach as deemed fit by the community.

Contract Process

Broadnax expressed satisfaction with the ongoing police contract process. He emphasized the important role negotiations will play in implementing voter-endorsed Proposition A. He is hopeful for the contract’s final approval which is expected by the end of July as mentioned by the council.

Keeping Infrastructure Work on Track

With local bond projects like Project Connect, I-35, and airport expansion in mind, Broadnax expressed the necessity of efficient project delivery to meet community expectations. In this regard, he assured that project updates with real-time data would be made available for understanding the status of all ongoing projects.

Addressing Homelessness

Under proper sheltering, Broadnax stressed the importance of availing wraparound services aiming to provide robust support for homeless community members. The narrative around homelessness also included a need for affordable housing, which will be addressed by master leasing programs to transition individuals in need into proper housing.

As for future work, the team has the task of assessing expenditures related to homelessness and developing a long-term plan to reduce homelessness in the community.

Tackling Financial Constraints

Upon being questioned about the city budget and related financial constraints, Broadnax’s vision was crystal clear: a two-year balanced budget as a sustainability marker for the upcoming years.

Towards the end, the City Manager emphasized the importance of exceeding basic community expectations of service delivery and set a positive outlook towards improving the quality of all city interactions. Seasoned Austin watchers are eagerly watching how this all unfolds — one can hope for a city that incorporates citizen voices in its ongoing growth and development.