Hey, Techplainer — Eric Johnson, the newly elected mayor of Dallas, has just started a new job at a law firm. But isn't being the mayor of a large Texas city a full-time job?
Being mayor of Texas' third most populous city certainly requires long hours, but Dallas City Hall's management structure gives the mayor the freedom to take on more than just city responsibilities.
Mayor Eric Johnson was the last to get a job. Month As a partner at the domestic law firm Rock Road, dallas morning news report. This led some Texans to wonder how the head of such a large city had time to work a second job. The answer lies in the city's administrative style.
The mayor's responsibilities vary depending on what form of government the city uses. Mayor and council forms often include The mayor has many executive powers. Conversely, the council manager form tends to decentralize the authority of the mayor and calls for experienced managers to make administrative decisions. However, city governments are not unified and may have their own rules for employees.
The city of Dallas has adopted a council manager format, meaning the mayor's primary powers include making appointments, setting the council's agenda, and serving as the city's main figurehead. This leaves the city's day-to-day operations in the hands of City Administrator TC Broadnax.
In contrast, the city of Houston's management is structured around the powerful position of the mayor, resembling a mayor-council government. Sylvester Turner is officially the mayor of Houston, but he also serves as city manager. That means Turner makes more day-to-day decisions about the city's operations than his North Texas counterpart, said Alan Bernstein, his spokesman.
“I'm not saying the Dallas mayor's job isn't full-time, don't get me wrong, but the direct responsibility placed on the Houston mayor in our form of government is greater than in Dallas,” Bernstein said. Ta.
Houston's organizational chart shows 23 departments reporting to Turner, but makes no mention of the city manager. Meanwhile, Dallas' organizational chart shows eight departments flowing into Broadnax, which reports to the entire City Council, not just the mayor.
Other large cities, such as San Antonio and Austin, have adopted a similar style to Dallas.
The disparity in job responsibilities can also be seen in the salaries of civil servants. Mr. Turner is paid $236,189 as the city's chief executive, while Mr. Johnson is paid $80,000 annually. But both pay a fraction of the salary. Broadnax's profits were approximately $400,000. manage dallas City Hall. But Mr Johnson and his spokesman Tristan Hallman have not considered this issue. Mayor A position that inevitably requires part-time work.
Many city employees in Texas practice law or hold down other full-time jobs. During my tenure.
“Even when he's not here, we hear from him all the time. We don't know when he's sleeping,” Holman said. “I can safely say that Mayor Johnson has more than a full schedule of official duties. He has made it clear that he practices as an attorney in his spare time, just as other city employees and council members have done in the past. did.”
Prior to joining Locke Road, Johnson worked at the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. However, he left the firm to avoid his conflict of interest, as the firm represents the city of Dallas in fiscal law matters. Johnson insisted that the city remains his main focus while he takes on other jobs.
“Dallas residents, I want to say that my duties as mayor will always come first,” Johnson said in a statement to Rock Road. “And I will always act in accordance with all applicable laws and the ethical standards of the legal profession regarding conflicts of interest.”
The partnership with Locke Road is in addition to Johnson's existing duties as chair of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations and on the board of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
