Ruby, chief financial officer of the East Bay Conservation Corps, has the endorsement of the majority of the Oakland City Council as well as U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, and finished first in the June primary — but not by enough to avoid a runoff against incumbent Roland Smith.

Ruby, who also is better funded than her opponent, promises to turn the city auditor's office into a model for the rest of the state by focusing on areas that pose the greatest risk to the city's financial well-being.

But her first task, Ruby said, will be to rebuild the office following a tumultuous year that saw Smith sue the mayor,council and city administrator after six employees were transferred out of his office. Although a city investigation found Smith created a hostile workplace, Smith denies the allegations.

"The team you put together is crucial," Ruby said.

Ruby said the auditor must walk a fine line between vigorously conducting in-depth audits whose results may be controversial, and working collegially with council members and heads of the various city departments. She promises to take a more professional approach than Smith.

"As an auditor, you can't have a gotcha mentality," Ruby said. "It won't work."

Ruby promises to change the status quo at City Hall, and vowed to maintain the independence of the office. In

Under the City Charter, the auditor is required to advise the council on big-ticket programs and projects and their financial implications. Ruby said she would go beyond that mandate and approach potential instances of waste, fraud and abuse with greater sophistication than Smith.

If elected, Ruby said she plans to order a citywide risk analysis to set the office's priorities. In addition, Ruby said she would focus on auditing the city's business and sales tax receipts, as well as the Oakland Redevelopment Agency and the city's contracting procedures.

Ruby said she would focus on performance audits to determine whether money spent by the city actually achieved its purpose, as opposed to whether the funds were spent according to the budget.

Ruby, an East Oakland resident, also has served as chief financial officer for Episcopal Charities and as deputy chief financial officer for the Democratic National Committee. Betsy Ebeling, a childhood friend of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is active in national Democratic Party politics, donated $100 to Ruby's campaign.

E-mail Heather MacDonald at hmacdonald@oaklandtribune.com