Job listing alert — wanna run the City of Austin?

Applications for Austin’s City Manager position opened yesterday. Here’s what to know about the job search for one of the Capital City’s most important positions.

Background

The city manager is responsible for managing the city’s $5.5 billion budget and overseeing 14,000+ city employees.

Austin’s last official city manager was Spencer Cronk, who was hired for the job in 2018.

Austin City Council voted to remove Cronk from his position last February, questioning the city's preparedness and communication during the winter storm. The freeze, which took place earlier that month, cut power to a third of Austinites, damaged 10.5 million trees, and left 170,000 tons of debris.

Since Cronk’s removal, former city manager Jesús Garza has filled the position in an interim capacity.

Filling the role

The City Manager application is expected to close on Monday, Feb. 12, according to a memo from Mayor Kirk Watson.

In addition to the open application, the city hired Mosaic Public Partners to conduct a national search. Mosaic is expected to provide a list of candidates to Austin City Council by March.

Watson said the city aims to decide on a finalist for the job by mid-April, but noted the process could take longer and that “because this is such a big decision, we shouldn't feel rushed in any way.”