The Dallas City Council turned to a new search firm Wednesday to recruit a watchdog responsible for sniffing out wasteful spending, fraud and corruption in City Hall.
Strategic Government Resources Inc., the firm picked to find the city’s next inspector general, has helped recruit top public officials in other states and in several Texas cities, such as Richardson, McKinney and Waco.
Its typical timeline to recruit, interview and conduct final negotiations runs about three months, according to materials submitted to the city.
The search for a permanent inspector general began after the city botched the process last year. They hired Timothy Menke, a candidate who did not meet a voter-approved job requirement that called for experience as an attorney.
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Menke was let go in August shortly after he began work, and the saga took a new turn when Bart Bevers, the city’s first inspector general, sued the city for wrongful termination in September.
Bevers, who held the position before Menke was recruited, reapplied for the position after voters approved a charter proposition that moved the inspector general out of the city attorney’s office.
Bevers was one of 30 applicants for the role and the only licensed attorney among the top candidates shortlisted, according to public records reviewed by The Dallas Morning News.
Court documents show Bevers alleged the city retaliated against him after his reports on the city’s procurement process revealed instances of wasteful spending. He was also investigating the conduct of a city employee.
While the search continues, Baron Eliason, the former chief integrity officer, is leading the office in the interim.