The time has come to investigate the circumstances surrounding outgoing City Manager TC Broadnax's departure from Dallas City Hall.
There are too many red flags to suggest this was not an honest request for resignation based on performance. There are strong indications that some City Council members have orchestrated calls for Broadnax's resignation to coincide almost perfectly with Broadnax's emergence as a finalist for Austin's governorship.
We urge the city inspector general to open a file on this matter if he has not already done so. We would like to include the Attorney General on that call, but Ken Paxton has compromised his duties so much that any findings will be tainted.
There are several reasons for this.
First, taxpayers are stuck paying Broadnax $423,000. A majority of the City Council appears to have decided that Broadnax is not competent or that the city needs a “reset.” That includes at least some of the City Council members who enthusiastically voted for Interim City Manager, his consistent ally and then his top lieutenant and longtime protégé.
A second question is whether some City Council members engaged in violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act in coordinating calls for Mr. Broadnax to resign. Broadnax's contract states he will receive compensation “upon a formal or informal recommendation by a majority of the City Council to resign.”
We recognize that, by law, there is no opportunity for the City Council to “informally” request the Mayor's resignation. Such a call can only be made through a meeting where the agenda item has been properly acknowledged. There's a reason we have open meeting laws. This is exactly why.
Acting as an informal majority raises serious legal issues regarding the creation of a “walking quorum” that is intended to violate the Open Meetings Act. It can result in criminal penalties.
Mayor Eric Johnson called on the council to end these payments to city employees. But the law already provides for it. Johnson or any Texas citizen could seek to void the payments to Broadnax on the basis that they may violate the Open Meetings Act.
There's a lot that stinks about this. According to recent stories, Morning News” Everton Bailey Jr., Broadnax City Hall Reporter, said that from February 14th to February 21st, the city council has a majority of eight members, one less than the quorum under the city charter. We recorded contacts with city council members requesting his resignation. This would presumably serve as a public notice of any “informal” requests required under the contract.
In early March, Broadnax was officially named a finalist in Austin. A few weeks later, he became the only finalist, and in early April, he became the next city manager.
This article tells many Dallas residents that within days, eight City Council members will independently say they want Mr. Broadnax to resign here, just as he secured a new job in Austin. I am asking you to believe that I have made a decision.
Dallas taxpayers need to thoroughly investigate this matter. And when Broadnax heads to Austin, he does so while chasing clouds over Dallas. Will there be more pockets?
We welcome your feedback in a letter to the editor. Please refer to the guidelines. Submit your letter here. If you have any problems with the form, you can email it to: Letters@dallasnews.com
