Best Public Performance In The Hot Seat

Assistant City Manager Toby Futrell

As designated apologist for the City Council's annexation campaign last fall, Futrell went toe-to-toe daily with a disgruntled citizenry often not inclined to trust city staffers or listen to reasoned debate. But the countless hours she spent answering barbed questions and refuting protesters point by point didn't cause Futrell to lose her civility or composure. She took on all comers, leaning into the microphone with a posture of readiness and conviction that lent her, and the city as a whole, credibility. Phone calls from the press were returned from the car and after hours. No matter what your opinion about the annexations, Futrell's performance as a public servant was unimpeachable.