\u201cFirst, he said there won\u2019t be any layoffs,\u201d Guthrie said. \u201cThen, in this meeting, he said that the city is bloated. They have about 1,500 to 2,000 too many employees.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city of Austin employs about 13,500 people<\/a>. If the allegation Guthrie relayed is true, it would mean that Broadnax believes that one out of every nine city workers is unnecessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n A city spokesperson told the Chronicle that the city manager denies describing the city workforce as bloated, but that he \u201chas said in various meetings that the city has 1,500 to 2,000 more employees than peer cities of similar size.\u201d The spokesperson added that the city manager has also said that \u201cthe city is not an employment agency and that we are a customer service organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Broadnax described the Shared Services Optimization process and other city initiatives promoting efficiency in a memo<\/a> last November. The goal of the project, led by the department of Budget and Organizational Excellence (BOE), is to reduce the duplication of services in different departments so that the services can be delivered, in the words of Broadnax\u2019s memo, in a \u201cmore consistent, customer-centered, and cost-effective\u201d way. Broadnax added in the memo that BOE will examine the services offered by departments like Human Resources, Development Services, Financial Services, Fleet Mobility Services, and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n Regarding the possibility that the process could lead to future layoffs, the city spokesperson said that BOE is committed to keeping the initiative transparent and inclusive. \u201cNo decisions have been made about roles, reporting lines, or organizational structure,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cThis is a collaborative improvement process focused on understanding what is working well and what can be done better. There is no predetermined outcome. Any changes that emerge will be based on what best supports departments and improves service delivery.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n As the Shared Services Optimization process proceeds, a parallel effort is focused on the Austin Technology Services department, which provides IT services for the city. ATS was renamed and reconfigured<\/a> last year as a merger of two departments \u2013 Communications and Technology Management, which has long been the subject of criticism<\/a>, and the Information Security Office. In his memo, Broadnax said the city began examining its IT services this past May, writing, \u201cA recent assessment found that Austin has nearly twice the number of IT staff and double the technology spending compared to similar cities, yet most of this investment is spread across individual departments rather than centralized.\u201d Broadnax said the city will consolidate the city\u2019s IT staff into ATS, estimating that the process could take up to three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not buying that people aren\u2019t going to lose their jobs. And we think this approach is much like the DOGE approach. It\u2019s very top-down.\u201d<\/p>\n AFSCME Local 1624 Rep Carol Guthrie<\/p>\n Guthrie said the consolidation efforts have workers on edge. \u201cThey\u2019re talking, gossiping with each other, consoling each other,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re not buying that people aren\u2019t going to lose their jobs. And we think this approach is much like the DOGE approach. It\u2019s very top-down.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/s3_Broadnax_KatherineIrwin-edited-1024x682.jpg\")
City Manager T.C. Broadnax Credit: Katherine Irwin<\/p>\n