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Contra Costa voters are set to decide this year on who will be the county’s next auditor-controller, with a newcomer set to take the reins starting next year following the first open race for the position in more than 20 years.
Assistant auditor-controller Peter Karumbi and finance accounting consultant Deepika Naharas are squaring off in this year’s election to succeed Joanne Bohren, who was appointed to the position last year following the retirement of longtime office holder Robert Campbell, who held the seat for more than 30 years.
The Auditor-Controller’s Office is tasked with maintaining the integrity of the county’s financial records and providing information and services to the public and the county agencies, as well as some non-county offices according to its website.
Between them, the two candidates have more than 40 years of accounting and financial experience, with Naharas pointing to more than 25 years in financial leadership roles and Karumbi pointing to his rise through the ranks as an entry level accountant to his current role at the county office, where he’s worked for the past 14 years.
“My journey reflects not only professional growth but also a genuine dedication to strengthening the financial foundation of our county,” Karumbi said on his campaign website. “I understand the responsibility that comes with managing public resources, and I have devoted my career to ensuring accuracy, transparency, and accountability in county financial operations.”
While Naharas’ resume does not include work in local government, her campaign messaging has leveraged her perspective as “independent” and “not an insider” in the county’s government as a selling point.
“The County Auditor-Controller is the people’s financial watchdog — an office that demands independence, not insider loyalties,” Naharas said on her campaign website. “Independent oversight cannot come from automatic succession.”
Naharas — a San Ramon resident — currently serves as internal auditor and controller for the San Ramon-based organization Lead4Earth, founded by former mayoral candidate and current State Assembly candidate Chirag Kathrani. Prior to that, she worked in finance and accounting roles at numerous companies ranging from “Fortune 500 to high-growth startups”, according to her campaign website.
Karumbi started his career in accounts payable roles, working at Ross Stores in Pleasanton for several years before starting his career as an accountant with the county in 2011.
Both candidates’ platforms feature pledges to ensure “every dollar is accounted for” and commitments to transparency, accountability, support for special districts, and fiscal responsibility.
Karumbi’s platform also includes a commitment to “lead with fairness, integrity, and respect — keeping politics out of county financial management”, to “provide accurate, timely financial information to the public and county partners for informed decision-making”, and to comply with the California Constitution and Board of Supervisors’ directives.
Other campaign priorities for Naharas are modernized operations, property tax accuracy and pension fund oversight. That includes plans for real-time digital auditing tools on a public-facing platform and “bringing 21st-century technology to county financial systems” by transitioning from legacy to cloud-based systems, automating routine reporting, and AI assisted anomaly detection.
“I bring a practitioner’s knowledge — having led audits, managed multi-million dollar budgets, and built compliant financial systems — to serve the people of this county with transparency and results,” Naharas said.
Karumbi said his run for office was driven by a belief in the importance of its functions and understanding of its impacts across the county’s departments, public services, and communities. He is endorsed by Campbell, as well as retired assistant auditor-controller Harjit Nahal.
“I am dedicated to ensuring that our county’s financial operations remain strong, transparent, and accountable — today and for the future,” Karumbi said.
Naharas — who is endorsed by business owner Sarah Rodriguez and CPA and community leader Michael Chen, as well as two other unnamed finance and business leaders, according to her website — said her goal was to serve the public and increase the department’s efficiency.
“Contra Costa County deserves an Auditor Controller who answers to the people and works towards making the department more efficient and effective,” Naharas said.
The two candidates have five weeks more for campaign efforts ahead of the June 2 primary election. More information on Karumbi’s campaign is available at karumbiforauditor.com. More on Narahas’ campaign is available at deepikanaharas.com.
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