What we reported

2016 was a year of major leadership turnover in Austin. The year started with the knowledge of the possibility of new faces on the council dais as five seats were up for re-election. The year ended with two new council members, a new interim city manager and a new interim police chief.

The latest

In early 2017, the city officially welcomed two new council members, Jimmy Flannigan of District 6 and Alison Alter of District 10, to the dais during a Jan. 6 inauguration ceremony. Meanwhile, the police department is under the leadership of interim Chief Brian Manley, and the search for a new city manager was briefly called off after the council decided to clarify its criteria for selecting a recruiting firm and city manager.

What’s next

The first step in hiring a new city manager is to first hire a recruiting firm that can search for executives who can handle the responsibilities that come with a $3.7 billion budget. While the city will look to hire a firm in early 2017 and continue its search for a city manager, the search for a police chief will be on hold. In a press conference late last year, interim City Manager Elaine Hart said she planned to leave the police chief search to whoever steps in as city manager.

This story is one update from The January Issue. View the full list of 10 things to look for here.