Auditor Kilgore publicly recommends Jackie Lewis as council interviews three finalists for Columbus city auditor

Columbus City Council held a special hearing to review three applicants to fill the city auditor vacancy and hear from incumbent Auditor Megan Kilgore. Kilgore said the office is consolidated and unique among large cities and urged a successor who can manage public finance, bond issuance and capital‑market relationships immediately.

Kilgore told council the auditor's office operates the city’s core financial systems, produces official revenue estimates and oversees a multibillion‑dollar debt portfolio. Council President Harden framed the appointment as urgent: the office must be filled before Kilgore's last day on May 4.

The three finalists who spoke were Garrett Patterson, Jackie Lewis and Kimberly Mason. Garrett Patterson said he manages Ohio State University’s roughly $3.5 billion debt portfolio and has “led or assisted with the issuance of over 4 and a half billion of municipal bond sales” in his career. He told council he would prioritize clear internal controls, explain tradeoffs with data and explore debt‑structure options such as level debt service and selective use of floating‑rate debt. On municipal investments, Patterson suggested the city could consider taxable municipal bonds to increase yield and support the annual revenue estimate.

Jackie Lewis, who has worked as bond counsel for the city at Bricker, Grama & Wyatt, said the auditor’s role is technical and requires integrity and transparency. She warned that utilities’ debt‑service pressures and the city’s conservative liquidity posture merit continued monitoring. Lewis suggested the city could use tools such as revolving loan funds and different approaches to tax‑increment financing to create more sustainable, repayable streams for development and capital projects. "The numbers are the numbers," Lewis said, describing the auditor's duty to report financial reality.

Kimberly Mason, a longtime South Side resident and school‑board candidate, emphasized communicating complex financial matters in plain language and increasing transparency and community engagement. Mason said she would rely on partnerships, staff expertise and education to make financial information accessible to residents.

After questioning and discussion, Kilgore addressed council with a recommendation. "That woman is Jackie Lewis," Kilgore said, describing Lewis as a candidate with municipal‑finance experience and relationships that would allow her to contribute immediately. Council members said they were weighing technical experience, the ability to "hit the ground running," and relationships with rating agencies and directors; several members noted the urgency of filling the role before large projects and budget work continue.

No formal appointment was made at the hearing. Council President Harden said the council will take a vote at its next regular meeting and that the decision must be made before May 4 to ensure continuity in the auditor’s office.