City Government

City Auditor Courtney Ruby Joins Mayor’s Race

Published

12 years ago

February 27, 2014

Oakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby is the latest to join the growing field of candidates challenging Mayor Jean Quan in the November election.

Ruby, 46, is serving her second term as Oakland’s elected auditor, a position that she has been using to develop a reputation as a government watchdog.

Last year, one of her audits erupted into controversy raising questions about her credibility, when she issued a report targeting two African American City Council members.

Others have questioned why her audits tend to focus on small, minority contractors and nonprofits, rather than the big developers with political connections – whose multimillion and billion dollar deals seem to leave the public shortchanged.

Though the Post and others said last year that she was building her reputation in order to run for mayor, she at the time said she would not run – because she had two small children at home.

However, Ruby has decided to run, she says, because of her concerns about crime and public safety.

“A year ago, I said I wasn’t running because I had a new family,” Ruby told the Oakland Tribune. “Today, I feel I have to run because of my family.”

Ruby sent out an email this week, announcing her candidacy.

“As auditor, my job is to find problems and fight for solutions,” she wrote in the email.

“I’ve gotten under the hood of nearly every part of this city government – and we’re helping restore an ethical culture, saving taxpayers millions of dollars and fighting to make sure the people get what they deserve from the people’s government.

Courtney Ruby is a graduate of American University, a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner.

Prior to holding her elected position, she, served as vice-chair of the Budget Advisory Committee for the City of Oakland and Board Finance Chair for a local nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness

She lives in East Oakland with her boys, ages five and six.

Others running for mayor include Councilwoman Libby Schaaf, former school board member Dan Siegel, Port of Oakland Commissioner Bryan Parker and San Francisco State professor Joe Tuman.