Dog-friendly Downtown

Barks and bites: One Arts Plaza goes to the dogs (again) at the third Paws on the Plaza

At the third Paws on the Plaza event at One Arts Plaza, Dallas dogs and their owners flocked to the Arts District to brunch and play. Paws in the City was also there with several four-legged friends, hoping to find them a good home.

Cooperative weather and furry companions made for a festive combination at the third Paws on the Plaza event September 9 at One Arts Plaza [http: /www.oneartsplaza.com]. Flocks of dog owners and their four-legged friends cooled off at fountains and brunched and munched at nearby restaurants and vendors all afternoon. Local pet rescue and adoption agency Paws in the City [https://www.pawsinthecity.org/] was also there, sponsoring adoptees and handing out info about their next big event, Deep Ellum Barkfest [https://www.barkfest.org], September 15 at Deep Ellum Bark Park [https://www.deepellumtexas.com/community/bark-park]. Paws on the Plaza is a monthly brunch series at One Arts Plaza. The next one is slated for October 14, to coincide with the third annual block party.

Photo by Conner Howell

Cooperative weather and furry companions made for a festive combination at the third Paws on the Plaza event September 9 at One Arts Plaza [https: /www.oneartsplaza.com]. Flocks of dog owners and their four-legged friends cooled off at fountains and brunched and munched at nearby restaurants and vendors all afternoon. Local pet rescue and adoption agency Paws in the City [https://www.pawsinthecity.org/] was also there, sponsoring adoptees and handing out info about their next big event, Deep Ellum Barkfest [https://www.barkfest.org], September 15 at Deep Ellum Bark Park [https://www.deepellumtexas.com/community/bark-park]. Paws on the Plaza is a monthly brunch series at One Arts Plaza. The next one is slated for October 14, to coincide with the third annual block party.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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