THE CITY OF MESQUITE, TEXAS IS SEEKING ITS NEXT...

CITY ATTORNEY THE COMMUNITY

Mesquite is ideally situated in eastern Dallas County with the Cities of Garland located to the north and Dallas to the west. Easily accessible by road or air, Mesquite is located along Interstate Highway 635 with convenient access to Interstate Highways 20 and 30 and US Highway 80, and is home to the internationally renowned Mesquite Championship Rodeo. A first-tier suburb of the Dallas and Fort Worth Metropolitan Statistical Area, Mesquite covers 49 square miles, offering exceptional quality of life to approximately 145,000 residents. Today, Mesquite is the 20th largest city in Texas.

Mesquite offers the convenience of a large metropolitan city while retaining a charming, small town atmosphere. The community enjoys a diverse economy with a strong and thriving retail base centered around Town East Mall and a large portion of Mesquite’s economy derives from its retail shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Mesquite’s Rows of Texas boasts one of the highest concentrations of retail shops in the region and has more than 100 dining establishments. Many of these businesses are regional, state, and national leaders in sales and volume within their industry.

Mesquite also has a very strong industrial base. The Skyline Logistics Hub, one of Dallas County’s largest industrial parks, is home to more than 75 businesses including Union Pacific Railroad’s Intermodal and Rail Port Hub, Pepsi Bottling Group, United Parcel Service’s ground sorting center, OroraVisual, Fritz Industries, and Benjamin Moore Paint and Ashley Furniture. The Mesquite Metro Airport is the second busiest general aviation airport in DFW, and in 2015 was named the "Reliever Airport of the Year" by the Texas Department of Transportation.

THE COMMUNITY (CONTINUED…)

Residents and visitors alike have abundant options for cultural and recreational pursuits. The 36,700 square-foot Mesquite Arts Center houses a 494-seat music performance hall which hosts professional musical, theater and concert productions, as well as symphonic and orchestra performances by the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra. The Mesquite Community Theatre with its own production team presents quality plays season after season in the Black Box Theater that draw from much of the north Texas area acting community.

Mesquite has 75 developed parks and special-use facilities, featuring athletic fields, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, disc golf courses, ball fields, a girls’ softball complex, and three swimming pools. Mesquite has been designated Playful City USA for the fourth time for its nationally recognized programs and innovative ways to engage residents through various recreational opportunities. Golfers enjoy the Mesquite Golf Club, a 154-acre, 18-hole golf course for both novice and expert golfers that is open 7 days a week and features a pro shop and driving range.

Mesquite offers a wide variety of homes in a broad range of styles, sizes and prices. The average home price in Mesquite is $131,000, and the median household income is $50,804. Several new housing subdivisions are currently under construction with a median home price of $309,000, offering executive housing and move-up potential for Mesquite families.

Educational needs in Mesquite are served by the Mesquite ISD and Dallas Christian School. The Mesquite ISD serves more than 40,000 students across 48 campuses drawing from the communities of Mesquite, Garland and Balch Springs as well as areas of Dallas. Mesquite ISD was recognized in 2015 with the District Excellence in Professional Learning Award and was one of 14 Texas school districts that placed on the 4th Annual Advanced Placement District Honor Roll. For those seeking higher education, opportunities in and near Mesquite include Eastfield College, Texas A&M University-Commerce at the Mesquite Metroplex Center, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Texas at Arlington, University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University.

CITY OF MESQUITE GOVERNMENT

The City of Mesquite is a full-service, home rule city operating under a council-manager form of government. The Mesquite City Council is comprised of a Mayor and six Council members elected at-large for two-year terms, and four Council member districts have residency requirements. The City Council appoints a professional City Manager to lead and direct the daily operations of the organization. The City Council also appoints the City Attorney, City Secretary, Municipal Court Judge, and members of various boards and commissions. City Manager Cliff Keheley has been with the City of Mesquite since 1994 and was appointed City Manager in 2015. The City of Mesquite has a staff of 1,100 employees and an adopted annual budget of $113.9 million. Mesquite’s current property tax rate is $0.687 per $100 valuation.

To learn more about the City of Mesquite, visit www.cityofMesquite.com.

CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

The incumbent City Attorney, BJ Smith, had been the City Attorney since 1988, and retired on April 13, 2018. The City Attorney’s Office adopted budget is $1,183,120 and includes five staff attorneys and three support staff. The City Attorney is responsible for serving as the chief legal consultant and advisor to the City Council, City Manager, boards and commissions, and key executives. The City Attorney’s Office represents the City of Mesquite and its authorized representatives in civil and administrative litigation, as well as the State of Texas in municipal court prosecutions. Criminal prosecutions, other than municipal court violations, are handled by the Dallas County District Attorney.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate will be a big picture thinker with a seasoned perspective on municipal law and the ability to be an advocate and counselor to the City Council, City Manager and staff. The City Attorney will have highly developed competence in general areas of municipal law and know when to seek outside legal services in those areas that fall outside of his/her direct experience or capacity of the office. The selected individual must have the ability to navigate the complexities of general governmental operations, public safety, utilities, special districts and a myriad of other areas of concern to the City Council. It is preferred that the new City Attorney will have direct experience with employment law, contract law, economic development and redevelopment, land use, planning and zoning, and utilities.

The new City Attorney will demonstrate a customer focus and strive to find affirmative answers to problems that are within the law. He or she will be a self-motivated individual who is collaborative, approachable, and willing to undertake any assignment that is in the best interest of the City and community. The capacity to succinctly explain complex issues with clarity and accuracy is essential.

As the principal legal counsel for the City Council, the City Attorney must understand how to balance the corollary obligation to provide sound legal advice to the City Manager and his staff and to also ensure that the City Council is receiving objective legal counsel that protects them and the City from unwise policy decisions that could have adverse legal ramifications. The City Attorney will have the courage to speak up to ensure the City is best served and on sound legal ground.

Being a shrewd negotiator with the ability to protect and advance the City’s interests is an important quality for the City Attorney, who must know when to be aggressive in representing the City and when to bring the negotiations to productive conclusion. The City Attorney must be able to represent the City effectively regionally, in Austin and in Washington, D.C. Understanding political situations and the political implications of policy recommendations without being political is essential.

As a manager and leader of attorneys and legal staff, the City Attorney must ensure that training and development programs are in place to ensure the development of in-house expertise and capacity to address current and emerging issues. With the diversity of Mesquite, the City Attorney must respect and embrace differences in race, ethnicity, gender, religious preference and sexual orientation within the community and workplace. The City Attorney will exhibit candor, highly ethical behavior and an exemplary level of professional decorum, with the ability to gain the trust and confidence of elected officials, peer City Council appointees, staff and the public.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Keeping the City Council advised of lawsuit status; Fulfilling the legal needs of all departments; Reducing the cost of litigation; Coordinating with outside attorneys and encouraging

early disposition of all lawsuits; Issuing legal opinions in a timely manner; Working closely with the City’s insurance carrier to

minimize claim losses; Answering requests in a timely manner for information

and records under the Public Information Act; Prosecuting cases heard in Municipal Court; Remaining abreast of legislative and legal issues;

reporting on significant changes in the law to the City Council and City staff;

Handling various legal matters for City departments, boards and commissions.

MAJOR ISSUES AND PRIORITIES

A City Charter amendment is on the upcoming ballot to create the Office of the City Attorney as a City department and place legal staff under the supervision of the City Attorney as opposed to the City Manager.

Establish and maintain procedures for a rigorous review of all current or forthcoming City contracts to ensure they are enforceable and in the best interest of the City;

Develop sound and cost-effective procedures for utilization of outside counsel;

Review the current staffing, operating procedures, technology and organizational structure of the office to develop a high performing office and staff;

Evaluate the competencies and skills of staff and institute development and training as needed;

Provide regular updates to the City Council and City Manager on all legal matters affecting the City and their status;

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow City Council appointees and department directors.

14285 Midway Road, Suite 340 Phone: 972-481-1950

Addison, TX 75001 Fax: 972-481-1951

Springsted

380 Jackson Street, Suite 300 Phone: 651-223-3000

Saint Paul, MN 55101 Fax: 651-223-3002

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

Qualified candidates should submit their resume online by visiting our website at https://springsted-waters.recruitmenthome.com/postings/1944. This position is open until filled; however, interested applicants are encouraged to apply by May 18, 2018. Following this review date, applications will be screened against criteria provided in this brochure. The Mayor and City Council will offer interviews in Mesquite to those candidates named as finalists, with reference checks, background checks, and academic/credential verifications conducted after receiving candidates’ permission. For more information, contact Chuck Rohre at 214.466.2436 or crohre@springsted.com or Patty Heminover at 651-223-3058 or pheminover@springsted.com.

Applicants for this position selected as finalists will be subject to a criminal history/credit/driver’s license check prior to interview. While the consultant and City of Mesquite will endeavor to maintain confidentiality, under Texas statutes, information from your resume may be subject to release to the public at any stage of the recruitment process.

The City of Mesquite is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited school of law; Seven years of progressively responsible legal experience

and at least five years of experience supervising other attorneys and legal support staff;

Licensed in good standing to practice law; Hold a Texas Class “C” driver’s license or obtain within

thirty days of employment;

OR

Any combination of related education, experience, certifications and licenses that will result in a candidate successfully performing the essential functions of the job.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Licensed in good standing to practice law in Texas; Five years of experience as a full-time in-house City

Attorney, First Assistant City Attorney or Assistant City Attorney with experience supervising other attorneys;

Legal management experience in a growing city reasonably comparable to the City of Mesquite in size and complexity;

Experience in outsourcing and effectively managing outside legal services;

Exceptional communications and presentation abilities; A record of participation and professional networking in

legal associations as they benefit the City.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

COMPENSATION

The anticipated hiring range is from high $100K to low $200K range, depending on the experience and qualifications of the

successful candidate. A superior benefits package is also offered, including an employment agreement; relocation assistance;

vehicle allowance; Texas Municipal Retirement System at the 7 percent employee contribution level with a 2-to-1 match by

the City upon retirement; medical, dental, vision, vacation, sick leave, holiday; and other highly competitive benefits.