10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The race for Monterey County auditor-controller is generally anything but flashy. The role serves as the county’s chief financial oversight position, a watchdog responsible for independent auditing and ensuring public funds are handled properly. Two candidates have so far filed to run: Enedina Garcia, who currently serves as assistant auditor-controller, and Burcu Mousa, a certified public accountant and former senior leader in the Auditor-Controller’s Office. In addition to serving as the county’s financial watchdog, the office also handles payroll for more than 5,000 county employees every two weeks, allocates property taxes, reviews revenue deposits and vendor payments, and maintains financial records to ensure transparent reporting. The current auditor-controller, Rupa Shah, is planning to retire. “It’s all about transparency and public trust,” Mousa says. “It’s a hidden role. You don’t hear about the auditor-controller until something goes wrong. If things are operating as it should, then it’s kind of in the shadows making sure the engine’s running.” The contested election follows a 2025 disclosure of a multi-year tax calculation error in the county’s property tax system involving a voter-approved bond for the Gonzales Unified School District. The miscalculation impacted around 3,000 parcels, prompting the county to bill undercharged property owners and issue refunds to those who were overcharged. Mousa has eight-and-a-half years of experience in senior management roles in the Monterey County AuditorController’s office, first as chief deputy of general accounting and later as assistant auditor-controller. Before that, she worked in public accounting, auditing governments, public retirement systems and nonprofits. Garcia joined the AuditorController’s Office in 2025 after beginning her public service career in Fresno County more than 18 years ago. She started as an accountant before moving into management roles, including accounting and financial division chief and deputy auditor-controller. “The transition from Fresno to Monterey has been seamless,” Garcia says. Regarding the property tax error, she says the process had been reviewed and additional internal controls were implemented before she joined the county. “I bring a fresh perspective. I see opportunities to enhance efficiencies, reinforce internal controls, elevate accountability, and provide full transparency to our residents.” The scourge that is fentanyl not only puts its users at risk of a deadly overdose, it also becomes a relentless cycle where the user no longer gets high, they just need it to avoid the pain of withdrawal. Getting patients off that cycle has been a challenge, but a new treatment method evolving on the streets of Monterey County is showing promise of helping them finally break free. The method, called Direct to Inject, or DTI, allows physicians to transition patients onto buprenorphine in a way that wasn’t previously available, explains Dr. Reb Close, an addiction specialist with Pacific Rehabilitation and Pain in Monterey and president of the nonprofit Central Coast Overdose Prevention. “Bupe,” as it’s also known, works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, partially activating the receptors, but not fully, and in the process blocking other opioids from accessing the receptors. Previously, Close and her colleagues instructed patients to microdose bupe as they continued to use substances, allowing the bupe to slowly build up in the body until the original substance is no longer needed. In the past six months, the protocol has changed as specialists in other cities, who also work with patients in the streets, have found success with directly injecting those patients with initial larger doses. A new doctor joined the Monterey practice, Dr. Andrea Jakubowski, from New York, where they had started injecting patients with a slightly larger initial dose, followed about a week later with a full monthly dose. Close was skeptical but reports: “It totally worked.” Then a manufacturer developed a new timeline using two full doses a week apart before starting a monthly regimen. Close tried the new dosage schedule on two patients successfully. Neither went through a big withdrawal and they no longer felt the need to use fentanyl. “This is the revolutionary thing we’re able to do on the street,” Close says. DTI, she says, is giving patients a way out. Class Audit Two candidates are in the race to be Monterey County’s chief financial watchdog. By Katie Rodriguez NEWS DISTRICT UPDATE Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church and guests from the County of Monterey host a town hall for Castroville residents. Learn about county projects and ask questions. 5:30-7pm Thursday, Feb. 26. Castroville Branch Library, 11160 Speegle St., Castroville. Free. (831) 755-5022, glennchurch.com. POWER TO THE PARENTS Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network hosts the seventh annual Parent Power Summit. Parents, caregivers and advocates are invited to participate in various workshops and activities. 9am-2:30pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Boys & Girls Clubs of Salinas, 85 Maryal Drive, Salinas. Free. Register at bit. ly/4pQG3vi. (831) 200-8870. A GOOD BOOK Monterey County Free Libraries marks the grand opening of the new Gonzales Branch Library. Various family activities take place. 10am-noon Saturday, Feb. 28. Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center, 630 Fifth St., Gonzales. Free. eMCFL. org, GallegosCD@countyofmonterey. gov. CITY CONVERSATION Seaside City Councilmember Dave Pacheco hosts a town hall. The meeting includes various city updates, as well as guest speakers City Manager Greg McDanel and Police Chief Nick Borges. 6pm Monday, March 2. Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside. Free. (831) 521-0577. LESSONS OF HISTORY For its 29th season, the Leon Panetta Lecture Series is themed “The 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution: What will be its Legacy in the 21st Century?” The first session includes a discussion with historians Douglas Brinkley and Lindsay Chervinsky, and journalists Nicholas Kristof and Chris Whipple. 7pm Monday, March 2. Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. $100. (831) 582-4200, panettainstitute.org. GET A JOB Monterey County Works hosts a job fair to connect local employers with job seekers. Attendees are encouraged to bring their résumés and dress to impress. 1-4pm Wednesday, March 4. Career Center, 344 Salinas St., Suites 205206, Salinas. Free. (831) 796-3335. Register at montereycountyworks.com. CLEARING OUT The Fort Ord Cleanup Online Community Involvement Workshop is now live. Learn the latest cleanup updates and provide feedback. Online at fortordcleanup.com. Cutting Edge Local doctors are helping patients get off fentanyl with a pioneering treatment. By Pam Marino So far, two candidates Enedina Garcia (left) and Burcu Mousa are running for County Auditor-Controller. The deadline to file for the election is March 11. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@montereycountynow.com PUBLIC CITIZEN “You don’t hear about it until something goes wrong.” JASON COLLIN DANIEL DREIFUSS
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