The City of Dallas has issued a call-to-arms for its residents: Speak up on who should be the next individual to take over the reins as the city's City Manager. In what's shaping up to be a participatory hiring process, the Dallas City Council is looking for residents to chime in with their thoughts on the qualifications and characteristics that the successor should embody. The city is providing a twofold approach to gathering public opinion.

The first avenue is a survey being conducted by ETC Institute, and it's looking for a capped number – just 100 voices from each City Council district – to provide a statistically significant slice of public sentiment. Invitations to give feedback will be sent out randomly via mail, phone, or an online survey, all to be done in both English and Spanish. The second is a broader questionnaire hosted by Zencity, which is open to all residents of Dallas.

"Your voice matters! Share the leadership qualities you value most in the next City Manager," according to the City of Dallas. According to the information provided by the city, the results of both the ETC survey and the Zencity questionnaire will remain confidential.

Even though the City of Dallas is not without its controversies and challenges, this step might be seen as an earnest attempt to introduce transparency and inclusivity into the selection process for a role that often operates behind the scenes but wields considerable influence across the city's various neighborhoods and communities. For those looking to have their input into the future of Dallas' municipal management, now's the chance to throw in their two cents.