City

City Council names Jesús Garza Interim City Manager

Former City Manager Spencer Cronk was voted out of office by 10-1.

February 15, 2023 • 
Laura Figi
The front of Austin's downtown City Hall

The city is officially on the hunt for a new chief executive.

Photo by ATXtoday

In a 10-1 vote on Wednesday morning, the Austin City Council fired Spencer Cronk from his position as City Manager.

The City Council heard from 14 public speakers, who discussed Cronk’s response to Winter Storm Mara and tension over an Austin Police Association contract renewal. Cronk will leave with $463,000 in severance, or 12 months of base pay.

ATX_spencercronk

Spencer Cronk was hired as city manager in 2018.

Photo by Ser Amantio di Nicolao

What does the city manager do?

The City Manager is responsible for managing the city’s $5 billion budget, overseeing more than 14,000 city employees, and spearheading city initiatives.

In Austin’s case, the mayor and City Council rely on the city manger to act like their “CEO.”

So what’s next?

As of this morning, Jesús Garza will take up the position of interim city manager, while the city looks for a permanent replacement. Garza previously served as city manager from 1994-2002 during Mayor Kirk Watson’s previous term.