Dallas community meets three finalists for city manager at Frist Recreation Center

Three finalists for Dallas city manager spoke to residents at a community meet-and-greet at the Frist Recreation Center, outlining their backgrounds and plans for infrastructure, public safety and homelessness as part of the city manager selection process. The event, organized with assistance from Baker Tilly, gave each candidate a brief timed address and allowed limited follow-up interaction with attendees.

Edward Williams of Baker Tilly opened the program and explained that the City Council will ultimately select the next city manager. Mayor Pro Tem Atkins provided welcoming remarks and emphasized the role of community input, noting QR surveys in English and Spanish would be available until 11:59 p.m. for additional feedback.

The candidates were introduced in this order: William Johnson, who described himself as the assistant city manager in Fort Worth with responsibility for infrastructure, transportation, water and public safety; Mario Lara, who said he currently serves as an assistant city manager in Sacramento and emphasized community engagement and data-driven service delivery; and Kim Tolbert, the interim city manager for Dallas, who highlighted fiscal measures taken while interim and programs to address homelessness.

On policy, the candidates focused on core city services. Johnson recommended multi-year capital planning and bond financing to address streets and drainage, noting his use of bond programs in previous cities. Lara stressed using data to identify efficiencies and to coordinate the implementation of ballot initiatives with service delivery. Tolbert described consolidating transportation and public works under one director, launching a “Clean Sweep” maintenance program, and targeting investments to extend water service to 49 areas currently lacking connections.

On public safety, candidates emphasized recruitment, retention and training. Tolbert cited a new public safety training facility and a 7.23% pay increase for first responders included in the current budget; Johnson described lateral-entry programs and academy training, and said pay increases aligned to comparable cities were essential to recruitment. On homelessness, Tolbert outlined the city’s coordinated approach since 2021, cited a reported 16% reduction in homelessness locally compared with a national increase, and referenced a 2024 Street to Home initiative with a $30,000,000 investment that officials said housed 109 people in under 90 days.

The session closed with a brief, lighthearted question about candidates’ proudest accomplishments and reminders to complete the QR survey. The City Council will receive community input collected at the event as it continues interviews and the formal selection process for the city manager.