DALLAS — The sudden resignation of City Manager T.C. Broadnax had been in the works for more than a week, kept secret from the mayor and finally came together on Wednesday afternoon, according to four Dallas City Council members who spoke with WFAA.
Broadnax had long been rumored to be considering leaving the city because of his history of disagreements with Mayor Eric Johnson.
By the beginning of February, Broadnax decided the time had finally come.
According to councilmembers WFAA spoke with, Broadnax first approached councilman Jaime Resendez to discuss his potential departure. As part of their discussion, sources confirmed to WFAA, the two agreed to keep their conversation quiet, allowing Broadnax to leave the city on his own terms.
But to do that, Broadnax is said to have asked Resendez to identify a collective of eight city council members who would personally ask him to resign. If eight members -- a majority of city council (made up of representatives of 14 districts across the city, plus the mayor) -- asked for Broadnax's resignation, that would then trigger a severance clause in Broadnax's contract that would allow him to set his own last day in office and to leave to work for another city without any restrictions levied by the City of Dallas.
It could also allow Broadnax to head out the door with a hefty payout. Broadnax was hired to serve the City of Dallas as its city manager at the end of 2016 and officially started the role in 2017. He had the highest annual salary at City Hall, most recently earning $423,247 each year. His contract also included a $700 monthly car allowance.
Dallas City Council Liaison Penny Anderly said Broadnax's severance pay has not yet been negotiated.
But according to his initial, 2016-signed contract, a copy of which was obtained by WFAA, Broadnax is entitled to a lump some equal to 12 months of his "then current base salary" in the event of his "involuntary separation as City Manager." The contract then details numerous definitions for the term "involuntary separation," including "the City Manager's resignation following a suggestion, whether formal or informal, by a majority of City Council that he resign."
A joint statement released by council on Wednesday opens with the acknowledgment that "Broadnax has resigned effective June 3, 2024, at the suggestions of the majority of Dallas City Council."
After his initial talk with Broadnax on the matter, Resendez spent a week identifying and recruiting a majority of council -- one by one -- to personally meet with Broadnax to request that he step aside.
So why keep it a secret?
Councilmembers told WFAA that the process was kept quiet and away from Mayor Eric Johnson, so the mayor could not control the narrative and make it appear as if Broadnax was being fired.
Two years ago, the mayor tried to fire Broadnax, but did not have enough support on city council to do so.
Members of council who spoke to WFAA on background said Broadnax agreed it was time for a reset in the top job at city hall.
His dysfunctional relationship with Mayor Johnson meant Broadnax could only accomplish so much, they told WFAA. Councilmembers said Broadnax agreed to tell them when he reached that point.
That happened the first week of February.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Johnson acknowledged that he did not know this resignation was in the works.
“I received word of the city manager’s resignation via memo today and briefly spoke with him afterward about his decision,” said Johnson in a statement. “We did not always see eye to eye, but we still worked together to help move this city forward. After his seven years of working for our city, I want to wish him well on whatever comes next.”