New City Auditor poised for confirmation
Arushi Kumar’s nomination unanimously approved by Budget Committee
(HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I) – The nomination of Arushi Kumar to be the next Auditor for the City & County of Honolulu will be heard at the full Honolulu City Council at its meeting Wednesday, Oct. 6. If confirmed, Kumar will succeed Acting City Auditor Troy Shimasaki, who has served in the Acting City Auditor role since 2019.
During the September 22 Budget Committee hearing, Kumar appeared via videoconference from Seattle, where she currently serves as a Fiscal and Policy Analyst for the City Budget Office.
Kumar was the top recommended candidate from the independent Special Auditor Search Committee. She answered questions from Budget Committee members and other members of the City Council, and was recommended for confirmation to the full Council with a unanimous vote. Kumar articulated that one of her long-term goals for the office is “to increase the public awareness of the kind of work the City Auditor’s Office does, in service to the taxpayers; to make sure that the government is spending money and creating programs to serve them as best as possible.”
Kumar would bring extensive experience to the role from her work in the U.S. Government Accountability Office and her role in Seattle. Kumar has a Master of Public Policy degree as well as a degree in Economics. During her time at the US GAO, she became deeply familiar with the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS)--also known as the “Yellow Book”--which are the audit regulations followed by all federal audit agencies. Kumar was the consensus choice of Special Auditor Search Committee based on her degrees and work experience in line with City Charter qualifications, but it was also noted that she has already begun the process of obtaining additional certification as a Certified Public Accountant.
At the Budget Committee hearing, Vice Chair Esther Kia‘āina praised Kumar not only for her work experience, but for the empathy and passion she brought to her work previously on behavioral health policy. Kumar testified that she believes finding cost-savings means freeing up previously wasted funds to provided additional funding for residents in need of services, and also expressed eagerness to learn about Hawai‘i’s local culture.
If confirmed by the full Council, Kumar will assume the role of City Auditor on December 1.
The Office of the City Auditor has been the City & County of Honolulu's official auditing and accountability agency since its inception July 1, 2003. The mission of the Office of the City Auditor, is to promote honest, efficient, effective, fully accountable city government. To fulfill this mission, the office conducts audits and examinations of city departments, programs and services, as well as their activities.
Findings and recommendations of the Special Auditor Search Committee
CC 334 (21) https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/document-download?id=11975
Res 21-214 Relating to the appointment of Arushi Kumar as the City Auditor
https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/document-download?id=11974
