City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues,

Our offices have had the opportunity to work with Gail McCant during the preparation and passage of the recently passed APOA implementation ordinance, and we look forward to having her as the next director of the Office of Police Oversight. We found her professional, transparent, and accessible every time we reached out to her.

However, we were surprised there would be no national search for her role, as had been previously stated. Given the significance of this role and the high-profile nature of the office, why was the decision made to forgo a search and instead appoint the OPO director from within the City of Austin?

We hope the City Manager can further explain his thinking on this decision, not only for our own understanding but for the understanding of the public who we all serve.

Sincerely,

Council Members Qadri, Vela, Velasquez, Fuentes, R. Alter

I agree with my colleagues' statement above and I look forward to the Interim City Manager's explanation as soon as he returns.

Regards,
Alison Alter

I am also interested in getting an answer to the question my colleagues have posted. Many have been surprised by the pivot away from a national search, and I would also like to know how & why this decision was made. This has been a high-profile topic in our community for many years.

Thank you,
Paige Ellis