Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher has thrown his support behind a City Council member to succeed him as he finishes his third and final term.
Gallagher , who is running in the May 5 municipal election for the only open seat outside council matchups. The two-term councilman .
Timothy O’Brien, a member of the city’s Audit Committee, also has filed initial paperwork in the race. He previously spent 12 years as Colorado’s top appointed state auditor and has an accounting background.
Before winning a council seat, Nevitt , or Front Range Economic Strategy Center, a labor think tank and community organizing group he helped found.
Gallagher said he’s backing Nevitt because “he’s committed to continuing the Denver model, which we have fought for the past few years.”
The focus of the office changed after voters approved a 2006 charter change that gave the auditor strong performance audit power over city and county agencies.
Nevitt has “a record on the council of promoting best practices on city matters,” Gallagher said, “so I think he’ll fight to hold the agencies accountable and be independent.”
O’Brien said he isn’t surprised Gallagher is backing Nevitt. He said he asked Gallagher as well as Denver Mayor Michael Hancock not to consider endorsing him so that he could maintain political independence.
While applauding Gallagher’s record, O’Brien to show how city agencies spend money.
