Austin committee recommends three candidates for city auditor interviews

The chair of the Austin Audit and Finance Committee announced on Oct. 16 that the committee, acting as the nominations committee for the City Council, would recommend three candidates to be interviewed for the position of city auditor.

The committee met in a special called meeting in the City Council chambers at City Hall and moved into executive session under Texas Government Code §551.074 to consider personnel matters related to hiring a new city auditor. "We took up personnel matters related to, the hiring of a city auditor," the chair said after the committee returned to open session.

After returning to open session at 10:45 a.m., the chair read a motion — made by the mayor pro tem — to nominate Spencer Bright of Seattle, Washington; Suresh George of New York City; and Jason Hadavi of Austin, Texas for interviews by the full City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. The chair noted the motion was seconded by Council member Duchin and, "Without objection, the motion is adopted," placing the three candidates on the council's interview schedule.

The committee did not take any final appointment action during the Oct. 16 meeting; the chair said there would be no action by the committee that day. The nomination is a recommendation to the full City Council, which will conduct interviews and could take further action at or after the Oct. 21 meeting.

The special called meeting began at 10:01 a.m. when the committee entered executive session and concluded with adjournment at 10:47 a.m. The chair confirmed a quorum at the start of the meeting and noted the committee would present nominees to the full council as required by the Austin City Charter.