Downard Reacts to Auditor’s Retirement

After leading a number of investigations that uncovered improprieties and questionable practices in Metro Government, city auditor Mike Norman is retiring effective May 1.Mayor Greg Fischer will have 45 days to name a successor that must be approved by the Metro Council. The mayor’s office has not indicated if an interim auditor will be named.Councilman Kelly Downard says the position should be filled by someone with the right amount of experience and with independence from both branches of government.“If that person is not independent and not capable, then nothing happens. It is the citizen’s reach into effectiveness in government and it’s the reach of the mayor and council into effectiveness in government. I think that office is terribly important.”During Norman’s tenure, the Office of Internal Audit pushed for and helped establish an anonymous tip line for citizens and Metro employees to file complaints. Norman has been with the city for 24 years and will take a job with the Louisville Science Center.