Austin City Council interviewing 2 ‘Manager' finalists and making big decision on Police Association

Marc Ott left us last year so Elaine Hart has been filling in as Interim City Manager. It’s been a long search but Council has narrowed it down to 2 finalists and we’re hearing they’re wanting to offer the job to someone before Christmas.

The finalists are Spencer Cronk, Minneapolis City Coordinator and Howard Lazarus, City Administrator for Ann Arbor Michigan.

Lazarus has worked for the City of Austin before as Director of Public Works.

The two finalists met with council members this morning and then with the press.

Here’s why they want the job and why they think they should get it:

“You know my various experiences both in New York and in Minnesota and also in California where I’ve seen urban environments grow...and I think that I can carry those characteristics here in Austin,” Cronk said.

“I bring a long career in various aspects of municipal government as well as private industry. I have as I’ve said...always experienced the desire to run towards the sound of thunder and there is no better place to risk getting struck by lighting than working for the City of Austin right now,” Lazarus said.

Of course whoever becomes the next City Manager will also hire a new Austin Police Chief. Brian Manley has been in that interim role since Chief Acevedo left for Houston. Speaking of police there’s a capacity crowd at City Hall tonight of officers and activists for police accountability

Council is holding a special-called meeting to discuss and take action on the agreement between the city and the Austin Police Association that relates to officer pay and APD transparency.

Local criminal justice groups are against the contract saying it creates a citizen review panel with too many limits and too little transparency.

Association president Ken Casaday says the plan includes a 1.9% increase in pay for officers which he says is fair but some council members are questioning it.

“The City Manager shook our hands, told us we had a deal. Ed Van Eenoo who was also in charge of the budget said that there [was] money in the budget to do the pay raises they have now, the City Council is wanting to renig in that. If they vote no or try to get us to go back to rebargaining the contract that would be a huge slap in the face of the Association, the Chief of Police and the City Manager,” Casaday said.

Casaday says if it doesn’t pass, the contract goes away at the end of the month and officers will go back to being under civil service law.

He says 40 to 80 officers may end up retiring or burning through sick time.

Fox 7’s Bridget Spencer is covering this tonight. She’ll keep you posted.