Interim City Manager Highlights First 100-Days Wins, Confirms Permanent Bid

Dallasites have been watching Kimberly Bizor Tolbert like hawks since she took over the city manager’s seat — on an interim basis — in May. But just in case they missed something, Tolbert filed a memorandum last week outlining her successes during her first 100 days on the job. 

A national search is underway for a new city manager. Tolbert has not publicly commented on whether she wants the job for good, but her memo promises she’ll leave Dallas a better place “regardless of if I am selected for the permanent role.” 

Former City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced his resignation in February and spent his last day at the horseshoe in late April. He now serves as Austin’s city manager and a few Dallas officials followed him to the capital city, including Police Chief Eddie Garcia. Broadnax’s tumultuous relationship with Mayor Eric Johnson was well-documented, and many Dallasites are still salty that the former top administrator reportedly got about half a million dollars in severance after a contingent of council members attempted to fire him, and then allowed him to resign. 

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Following Broadnax’s departure, business and faith leaders rallied at City Hall in support of Tolbert to take the interim post, saying she was the clear choice for the interim job, as she had been Broadnax’s deputy and was intimately familiar with the challenges Dallas faces. 

City Council members appear to be supportive of the work Tolbert has done over the past 100 days but when something goes wrong, the buck stops at the top, and Tolbert has not been immune to criticism. 

Read the interim city manager’s Oct. 4 memorandum, which includes primary focus areas such as budget, homelessness, and developmental services, as shown below. 

Tolbert’s Accomplishments 

Among the accomplishments Tolbert highlighted in her 100-day memo, several themes emerged: 

• Pension stability
• Historic budget achievement
• Homelessness response
• Quality of life issues
• Development Services improvement
• Recruitment and retention
• Communications and engagement

“Many have asked, why I have made such ‘bold’ moves as Interim,” Tolbert wrote in the memo. “As a public servant for the last three-plus decades, I have given my all. I am driven and resolute in my desire to leave the City of Dallas a stronger and more resilient organization for the future, regardless of if I am selected for the permanent role. Thank you for your confidence in me. You have given me a tremendous opportunity — to support a city that I love, and to support our team to reach its fullest potential.”

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Looking Ahead

While Tolbert has made some “bold moves” in restructuring the City’s organizational chart and eliminating excess expenditures to create a balanced budget, she acknowledged in her memo — and has said several times from the horseshoe — that she’s committed to continuous improvement. 

“While we celebrate these successes, we are not done,” the memo states. “We are an organization of continuous improvement. We will raise the bar and reach even higher for the next 100 days and beyond. Our collective hard work, passion, and perseverance are the foundation of our success. I look forward to continuing this journey together as we build a Dallas that promotes economic growth and social vibrancy for all.”