Deputy city manager Gottschalk leaving Tucson for Dallas

Kelly Gottschalk will be the executive director for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System beginning a month from now, departing in the middle of the city’s budget process.

Gottschalk was hired in 2009 to be the city’s finance director. She was promoted to a $158,000-a-year assistant city manager position in 2011.

During her time with the city she has been heavily involved in budgeting and finance matters, and attempting to stem the skyrocketing cost of public pensions.

“I have enjoyed my time with the city and wish the best of success to the city as it moves forward,” she said in a press release.

Gottschalk guided the city “through some of our most difficult financial times,” interim city manager Martha Durkin said in the release. She said Gottschalk’s leaving is “a huge loss.”

She crafted several city budgets, and served on a statewide task force that is trying to solve the public-safety pension crisis.

The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System outbid Pima County for the Painted Hills property in 2006. The group was at odds with local government agencies including the city over the development of the property until last year, when Pima County agreed to buy it from the pension fund.