AUSTIN, Texas — As Austin narrows down its search to replace interim City Manager Jesus Garza, members of the community came out to a town hall at the Little Walnut Creek Branch of the Austin Public Library to learn and provide input on the pending major hire.

“It’s a simple process for a position full of complexities,” Austin City Council member Jose “Chito” Vela said. “The city manager has more power and influence over the operations of the city than any other position, including the mayor.”

“We want Austin to have positive growth, good growth, as well as stability,” resident and GAVA policy director Monica Guzman said. “That means addressing the needs of our vulnerable community, especially in Austin’s eastern crescent.”

It’s a laundry list of needs for this exploding metropolis which at the top includes the hiring of a new police chief and APD officer contract.

“We need someone that knows police departments, public safety, and has a cohesive and thoughtful approach on how we improve the relationship between the department and city,” Vela said.

Fellow council member Vanessa Fuentes says learning from previous missteps is critical; the right candidate also needs to be forward thinking.  

“I’ve now experienced two severe winter storms, so for me it’s important that our next city manager that can problem solve trouble shoot in times of emergency.” Fuentes said. “Not only are they in charge of over 12,000 employees, but they also oversee a $5 billion budget.” 

Residents will have the opportunity to meet finalists before the critical decision is made in the next few months.

“We have to get the decision right in terms of who we hire because that person will really guide us the next five, six, seven years during their tenure,” Vela said.