Dallas’ top attorney says she’s leaving her post.
Dallas City Attorney Tammy Palomino announced Monday she will retire effective April 30, marking the third transition among key City Council-appointed leadership roles in less than a year.
Palomino leads an office that has a $23.5 million budget and around 150 employees, handling legal matters from drafting ordinances to advising the council, city boards and commissions.
She noted in a letter to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and the council there is “never a best time to retire from a career with so many great experiences and so much more to accomplish.”
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“It has been an honor and a privilege to have dedicated 23 years of my legal career to the city of Dallas and the Dallas City Attorney’s Office,” wrote Palomino, who joined the City Attorney’s Office in 2003 as a community prosecutor. “I am proud of the work we do and the amazing attorneys in the City Attorney’s Office who are also dedicated to serving this city.”
Palomino didn’t immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment on her pending retirement.
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Her retirement adds to the growing list of turnover in key positions appointed by the council, which hires the city manager, secretary, auditor, inspector general and municipal judges.
These roles are the only direct hires made by the council, overseeing critical functions like the day-to-day operations of the city and investigations into potential fraud and waste. The transitions could introduce instability at a time when the city faces uncertainty about major issues, including the future of City Hall, the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars.
City Auditor Mark Swann announced in January he would retire March 17 after six and a half years in the role, citing a desire to spend more time with family. The City Council voted Wednesday to appoint Mamatha Sparks, a city audit manager who has been in the city auditor’s office since 2008, as the interim city auditor.
Dallas is also searching for a permanent inspector general after ousting Timothy Menke last August, less than three months after his hiring. Menke was hired last June despite not being an attorney, a requirement under the city charter. Baron Eliason, the former chief integrity officer, is serving as interim inspector general while the search for a permanent replacement continues.
Palomino was appointed as the city’s top attorney in October 2023 after serving seven months in an interim role. She was the first woman to be appointed Dallas city attorney since 2005.
As of January, Palomino earned $338,000 a year, making her the fifth highest paid Dallas city employee based on base pay, city records show. She ranked behind Public Safety Chief Dominique Artis ($350,000), Employees’ Retirement Fund Assistant Administrator Natalie Sorrell ($353,129), Employees’ Retirement Fund Administrator David Etheridge ($393,750) and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert ($450,000).
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