Austin City Council Approves Appointment Of New City Manager

Spencer Cronk will begin work as City Manager for the City of Austin on February 12, 2018, following a vote by City Council formalizing his appointment, start date and compensation package today.

Spencer Cronk will begin work as City Manager for the City of Austin on February 12, 2018, following a vote by City Council formalizing his appointment, start date and compensation package today.
 
Cronk, who was named by the City Council as their preferred candidate in December 2017, will receive a base salary of $325,000, an executive allowance of $7,200 and a range of other benefits over the next 12 months. He will also receive a monthly housing allowance of $4,500 for six months to offset the costs of a temporary residence. Further details are provided in the resolution approved by Council today (a draft of which is available here).
 
The City Manager is one of four employees directly appointed by the City Council, and oversees the City’s $3.9 billion budget and more than 13,000 employees.
                                        
“I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to lead such an outstanding organization and to serve a community with a strong culture that promotes inclusion, innovation and progressive ideas,” said Cronk.
 
Cronk’s appointment concludes a process that began when a Council-appointed task force developed a profile of the skills, abilities, experience and personal characteristics considered essential for Austin’s next City Manager. The final candidates met Council Members, department leaders, employee interest groups and city residents at a candidate town hall at Austin Convention Center.
 
Cronk comes to the City of Austin from Minneapolis, where he has worked as City Coordinator since 2014. He previously served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Administration, chair of the Minnesota Public Data Governance Advisory Committee, and member of the Environmental Quality Board and Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. Before joining the State of Minnesota, Cronk served as executive director of organizational development and senior advisor for the Department of Small Business Services for the City of New York, under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
 
Cronk received his bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program and was a Public Affairs Fellow with the Coro New York Leadership Center.
 
Elaine Hart, who has led the City as Interim City Manager since October 2016, will return to her previous role as Chief Financial Officer once Cronk starts February 12.