Austin mayor, council members share thoughts on top city manager candidates

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council members and the mayor will ultimately have the final say in who leads the City of Austin moving forward. First, though, those candidates will meet with city staff and with the community.

After Mayor Kirk Watson announced they were moving forward with three candidates Tuesday, here’s what the hiring body is saying about those selections.

Austin City Council members

Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri

“I am excited that we have identified final candidates for City Manager. I look forward to having the chance to interview them and get public feedback before we make such an impactful decision for Austin’s future.”

Council Member Ryan Alter, District 5

“While I was disappointed to not have a Latino candidate as part of this final group, I’m excited to hear how they will help advance the important goals we have for Austin – more affordable, sustainable, and livable city for everyone.”

Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6

“In our recent executive session, the Council made significant progress by narrowing down an extensive and diverse list of 39 City Manager candidates to our top three. This careful and deliberate process reflects our dedication to finding the most qualified individual to lead our city into the future. Transparency has been and always will be, a cornerstone of our selection process. We understand the importance of this decision for the future of Austin and are committed to conducting this search with the highest standards of openness and public engagement. We look forward to introducing our final candidates to the community and taking the next steps together toward a bright and prosperous future for Austin.”

Mayor Kirk Watson

In a Watson Wire, the mayor thanked Interim City Manager Jesús Garza and laid out what happens next in the process.

“While we knew from the beginning that Jesús wouldn’t be our long-term City Manager, we took our time in the search because we wanted him to focus on fixing the problems of the past so that the new City Manager would be able to focus on the future of Austin. Jesús has done extraordinary work under trying circumstances and has made a difference at City Hall helping to make local government work better, less chaotic, and with a focus on results,” the mayor wrote.

KXAN is speaking to the mayor around 4 pm and will update this article with additional commentary from him.

What happens next?

The candidates will meet with staff on Monday, March 25, and then participate in a community town hall that evening. The exact details of that town hall are yet to be announced.

The following day, the candidates will interview with Austin City Council members and the mayor.

The top candidates from that process will then move to “additional discussion” on April 1.

“We will ask one, two or all three candidates to return for additional discussion on April 1 and anticipate voting to direct our search firm to negotiate a contract with a specific person on April 2. We will post for a vote on that day,” the mayor’s office wrote in a message board post.