From today’s paper, a story on the retirement of longtime Dallas Chief Financial Officer Dave Cook.
And I know the Dave Cook/Dave Cook photo gag is getting a little stale. But just one more time? Please?
The city of Dallas is no stranger to the peaks and valleys of the economy.
And in good times and bad, the City Council and top management have looked to chief financial officer Dave Cook to crunch the numbers and provide the straight story on Dallas’ financial standing.
Cook, who was named CFO in October 2000 and has quietly become one of City Hall’s most respected figures, will retire this week after 28 years of public service.
His retirement comes after a grueling budget season last year that saw the city slash services to balance sharp declines in revenue.
This year could be even worse, but Cook – who gave notice of his plans months ago – is leaving now because the time has come personally more than professionally, he said.
He has given many weekends and nights to City Hall; his two sons have only a few years left at home, and he wants to spend that time with them.
“The budget we’ve just gone through was the toughest we’ve ever had,” Cook said. “But even in good economic times, there’s no such thing as an easy budget because there isn’t and won’t be enough money to do all the good things people want done. There’s always competing interest for the limited dollars.”
