A city council spokeswoman said Mrs Baxendale would start in mid-October after securing a visa.
Mrs Baxendale was named as the new chief executive in July but was unable to start straight away due to not having a visa.
The former Birmingham City Council chief executive will earn $495,000, an $80,000 increase from her predecessor Karleen Edwards’ salary.
She will also receive an additional $30,000 towards relocation costs from the United Kingdom.
Her appointment attracted criticism from inside and outside the council.
City councillor Aaron Keown told The Star he did not think Mrs Baxendale, who was one of 38 applicants, was the right person for the job.
“She is one of a number of people who would be right for the job but we could not afford her. You have got 38 people and many of them were willing to do it for $400,000 or less, which is an amount that would be a lot more acceptable,” he said.
