What the Dallas city manager's brochure chaos says about the job search

Dallas, we have a problem.

Cities, like individuals, only get one chance to make a first impression. And if you're Dallas, your first impression shouldn't be Houston.

The city of Dallas is on a tight timeline to find a permanent city manager to replace TC Broadnax, who left the city of Austin earlier this year to become city manager. Baker Tilly, the firm tasked with the search, submitted a draft recruitment brochure to the Dallas Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs for review this week.

One problem. Actually, many problems, starting with the wrong city.

The cover image featured the Houston skyline, confusing Dallas City Council members who clearly couldn't find anything that called Dallas. No Pegasus. No Reunion Tower. No American Airlines Center or those big, expensive designer bridges over the Trinity River. Dallas is a financial and sports and real estate hub with world-class airports and a business-friendly community. It's the land of deck parks and home to a prestigious arts district with an embarrassing abundance of architectural riches. Even that piece of cheese we call City Hall is iconic – and definitely more relevant – than a bunch of Houston skyscrapers.

And as a final insult, the slogan on the cover read: “Lead a new era of excellent and effective service delivery and create a better Dallas for all.”

Where? From City Hall in Bayou City?

We understand embarrassing missteps, but this one points to a fundamental problem, as the city's search lacks seriousness and scope. Overall, the draft focused on aesthetics and spoke only marginally about the goals, qualifications and credentials that should be the cornerstone of the search.

The editorial team has encouraged a comprehensive nationwide search with some specific requirements that go beyond what anyone can find on a corporate recruiting website for mid-level executives. This episode makes us think about whether simply posting a job ad for an executive with a document that might be more associated with a corporate relocation offer than a search for a city manager is the right way to go.

While public bodies must meet certain criteria when selecting staff, isn't it a better idea to spend a long time compiling a shortlist of potential candidates and approaching them directly rather than asking managers to make a selection themselves?

This is a transformational job at a crucial time for Dallas. Don't screw it up.

We welcome your opinion in a letter to the editor. Read the guidelines and Send your letter hereIf you have any problems with the form, you can send it by email to the following address: [email protected]