The head of the Honolulu office charged with providing accountability for city institutions is stepping down Friday, nearly three years after assuming the role.

Arushi Kumar, who was appointed to a six-year term in October 2021, said she is moving back to Seattle, citing “changing personal circumstances and family commitments.”

She formally informed the City Council of her plans to resign in an Aug. 8 letter to council Chairman Tommy Waters.

No timeframe for a search has been set. Her deputy, Troy Shimasaki, will serve as interim auditor.

“We have not yet determined when the search will begin, but the designation of an interim auditor will allow us to conduct a thorough search and vetting of the best possible candidates for the position,” council spokesman Kevin Imanaka said in an email.

Kumar — the third person officially appointed to the job since it was created — was selected after a search that lasted more than two years. She replaced Edwin Young, who retired in February 2019. Shimasaki, who has been with the office since 2004, also served as interim auditor during that period.

“I’m deeply appreciative of the opportunity provided to me,” she said in an interview. “The staff of the city auditor are truthfully some of the most hard-working and honest folks, who are very committed to the goal of transparency and accountability in a government where that’s not always valued.”

She worries the office may face challenges to its ability to continue its work in an independent manner as mandated in the city charter.

“I hope that the City Council continues to provide the appropriate support so that the office can continue to support transparency and accountability in city government,” Kumar said Wednesday in an interview.

Imanaka said the city auditor’s work is an important component of ensuring public trust.

“We are looking forward to announcing the new auditor when that selection is made and are confident that the important work of the auditor’s office will continue seamlessly,” he said.

The office’s main duties include audits investigating the fiscal activity and performance of city agencies and programs. Kumar’s salary was $187,488.

The last audit during Kumar’s tenure was released Thursday, finding that the Honolulu Police Commission’s oversight of HPD has been “inconsistent and ineffective.”

In previous years, her office conducted audits showing problems with Honolulu’s Covid pandemic relief spending, efforts to fill thousands of city job vacancies and HPD’s overtime policies, among others.

The office, which has a dozen other employees, was created following a city charter amendment approved by voters in 2002.

Read Kumar’s resignation letter below: