Council members have oversight questions

Local media isn’t the only group with questions about the recent appointment of a new head of police oversight. The appointment of Gail McCant, which was made without a promised national search, is the subject of a City Council Message Board post that asks interim City Manager Jesús Garza why the process unfolded as it did. Council members Zo Qadri, Chito Vela, Jose Velasquez, Vanessa Fuentes, Ryan Alter, Alison Alter and Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis had all asked for an explanation on the message board as of Wednesday evening. “Our offices have had the opportunity to work with Gail McCant during the preparation and passage of the recently passed (Austin Police Oversight Act) implementation ordinance, and we look forward to having her as the next director of the Office of Police Oversight. We found her professional, transparent, and accessible every time we reached out to her,” wrote Council members Qadri, Vela, Velasquez, Fuentes and Ryan Alter. “However, we were surprised there would be no national search for her role, as had been previously stated. Given the significance of this role and the high-profile nature of the office, why was the decision made to forgo a search and instead appoint the OPO director from within the City of Austin? We hope the City Manager can further explain his thinking on this decision, not only for our own understanding but for the understanding of the public who we all serve.” Though Garza is currently on vacation, he announced the appointment via memo on Sept. 29.