State energy manager ‘retires,’ but keeps getting paid for months

Topline: On March 31, 2023, the City of Austin, Texas’ energy utility sent out a press release claiming that General Manager Jackie Sargent was retiring “effective immediately” following backlash over a botched winter storm response.

That wasn’t the whole story. The same day, Sargent quietly signed a deal with the city to stay on the payroll until Dec. 31 as a “consultant.”

Sargent earned over $445,000 in 2023 — more than any active employee in the entire city — even though taxpayers thought she had already retired.