Shortly after Kirk Watson again took office as Austin’s mayor in January 2023, the City Council fired City Manager Spencer Cronk and rehired Jesus Garza as interim city manager.
Garza served as city manager previously from June 1994 through April 2002, the latter period spanning Watson’s previous service as mayor 1997-2001.
Garza’s 108-page personnel file indicates he is being paid an annual salary of $350,000, plus $19,038 in deferred compensation. He will also get an executive allowance of $7,200, a cell phone allowance of $1,620, plus $225 for a device allowance.
His personnel file includes a résumé listing numerous other jobs he’s had with the City of Austin, including assistant city manager, manager of the General Services Department, acting director of the Parks and Recreation Department, manager of Solid Waste Services, and in his very first starting in December 1980 as administrative assistant to the city manager.
He also had two jobs with the City of Corpus Christi from January 1988 to February 1992.
Immediately before being hired the first time as an assistant city manager Garza was executive director of the Texas Water Commission from March 1992 to March 1993.
