When Oaklanders vote in the March Primary Election next month, some may be confused by a race on the ballot: City Auditor. The auditor isn’t a high-profile position like the mayor, and there’s only one candidate running for the spot. But the auditor plays a critical role in Oakland, so it’s worth knowing who wants the job.
Michael Houston is the sole candidate. He has been serving as acting auditor since his boss, Courtney Ruby, quit to take a job in San Diego last October. Ruby was in her fourth term as auditor, having served from 2007 to 2015, and from 2019 to 2023. The March Primary Election is actually a special election for the role of city auditor—it will usher in an auditor to finish out Ruby’s term, and then a scheduled election will happen in 2026 to decide who will get the job for a full term.
The Oakland auditor is the city’s watchdog. The position is elected, which insulates the auditor from undue influence from elected and administrative officials. The auditor is empowered to investigate any part of Oakland’s government to ensure departments, programs, and staff are operating efficiently. They can also track down fraud and malfeasance and investigate whistleblower complaints. Some audits are required under law, and Oakland officials can request that the auditor investigate specific issues.
The auditor only releases a few reports each year, many of which are not especially exciting. But some contain revelations that send political jolts through City Hall, like the investigation published in 2022 that revealed a woeful lack of oversight of tens of millions of dollars spent on homelessness services.
“I made the decision that I would run because I think we have a good thing going in the city auditor’s office,” Houston told The Oaklandside. “We do good work and I’d like to keep that going.”
Houston joined the Oakland auditor’s office in 2019 and worked as a program manager overseeing investigations of whistleblower complaints. He was promoted to assistant city auditor in 2021, where he led audits of homelessness services, emergency medical services, and the city’s financial condition, among other city issues. Houston previously worked at Cal State University East Bay where he worked as director of internal audits. Houston got his start in the auditing world in San Jose. He has a master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts from Sonoma State University.
Houston was born in San Francisco, grew up in Vallejo, and both of his parents were government workers. Houston said he was drawn to auditing local government because it touches so many lives.
“Local government was particularly attractive to me because it’s where everyone in society relies on services,” Houston said. “No matter what your socioeconomic status is, what race you are, you really rely on local government services.
Houston said his former boss, Ruby, worked in Oakland for years and was well-connected in the community. He’d like to follow her lead once elected.
“I need to really make it a point to connect to folks in every corner of the city,” Houston said. “Not only to let them know that there is this position called city auditor, and to let them know what the auditor’s office does. But also to hear from them to identify what they think needs to be reviewed or what’s not working for them.”
The auditor has historically kept their investigations confidential until a report is published. But in 2022 Oakland voters approved Measure X, which directed the auditor to issue a work plan at the end of every August to give people a sketch of what issues are being investigated.
Last year, the auditor’s office released a critical report about poor management of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, which sparked sharp responses from some stakeholders. The office also issued an analysis that found Oakland is underspending funds raised through the 2020 parcel tax Measure Q to pay for park maintenance and improvements.
This coming year, the auditor is required to examine how tax revenue from voter-approved ballot measures was spent on library services and youth services and evaluate the city’s vacant parcel tax measure. The auditor is also supposed to audit the Oakland Police Commission and its investigative branch, the Community Police Review Agency.
The work plan also lists several issues that the auditor wants to prioritize, including an examination of how Oakland investigates city employees accused of misconduct, 911 emergency response times, and how well the city is addressing illegal dumping. The office updated its work plan in November to include an audit of why Oakland failed to apply for state grant funding to combat retail theft, and to investigate payments the city made to a grantee and its fiscal sponsor.
Houston said he and his team are also pursuing an audit of pay equity for city workers, following complaints to the City Council and in the media.
“I’m committed to the highest standards of professionalism,” Houston said. “Throughout my career I’ve upheld the highest possible ethical and professional standards.”
