Dallas deputy mayor defends city manager amid controversy over city hall's future

Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis has come to the defense of City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert amid an uproar over the city's iconic City Hall building designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei.

Tensions rise as city mulls options for landmark building

Willis, in a statement, emphasized that Tolbert is the city's chief executive officer and should be involved in high-level discussions about the city's real estate, including the future of City Hall.

At the heart of the controversy is a conversation Tolbert had last year with Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts about the team's lease at the American Airlines Center, which expires in 2031.

Welts told the Greater Dallas Planning Council that Tolbert had informed him the city could no longer afford to operate in the historic building, sparking outrage among some city council members who felt she had overstepped her authority.