California State Controller
State Controller of California | |
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California Constitution | |
Website | www |
The state controller of California is a constitutional office in the
Election and term of office
The state controller assumes office by way of election. The term of office is four years, renewable once. Elections for state controller are held on a four-year basis concurrently with elections for the offices of
Powers and duties
As California's chief fiscal officer, the state controller has broad superintending authority over the accounting and disbursement of state and local government finances.[2] As such, the state controller:
- Acts as the state's accountant. This entails maintaining the statewide accounting system, issuing reports on the financial condition of the state, approving claims against the state, administering payroll for state employees, ordering deposits into the state treasury, and drawing checks and approving electronic fund transfers.
- Administers California's unclaimed property laws. As such, the state controller audits holders of unclaimed property, safeguards unclaimed property reported to his or her office, and works to return unclaimed property back to its rightful owners.
- Audits public funds spent by myriad state agencies. The state controller is the internal auditor of California state government, examining the internal controls of state agencies, the state lottery, and oil and gas lease royalties to assure operational effectiveness and efficiency, reliable financial reporting, and legal compliance. A separate state auditor serves as the external auditor for the whole of state government and reports exclusively to the state legislature on state agency financial management and performance.
- Supervises local government finances. As part of this function, the state controller has broad discretion to audit state funds spent by local governments and prescribes uniform accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting systems applicable to nearly 5,000 counties, cities, towns, school districts, local housing authorities, rural development authorities, and all other political subdivisions of the state. Likewise, the state controller reviews the annual financial and single audits performed by external auditors on behalf of California's local governments for conformity with the law and government auditing standards. Separately, the state controller collects, apportions, and distributes property taxes and other state aids among the many counties, cities, towns, and school districts.
Aside from the office's functional responsibilities, the state controller serves on over 70 boards and commissions, including the
Staff
The Office has a staff of Deputy State Controllers that help the State Controller fulfill her elected duties, including sitting on the
List of California state controllers
Name | Party | Term |
---|---|---|
John S. Houston | Democratic | 1849–1852 |
Winslow S. Pierce | Democratic | 1852–1854 |
Samuel Bell | Democratic | 1854–1856 |
George W. Whitman | American | 1856–1857 |
Edward F. Burton | American | 1857 |
George W. Whitman | American | 1857–1858 |
Aaron R. Melony | Lecompton Democrat
|
1858–1860 |
Samuel H. Brooks | Lecompton Democrat
|
1860–1861 |
James S. Gillan | Democratic | 1861–1862 |
Gilbert R. Warren | Republican | 1862–1863 |
George R. Oulton | Constitutional Union | 1863–1867 |
Robert Watt | Democratic | 1867–1871 |
James J. Green | Republican | 1871–1875 |
James W. Mandeville | Democratic | 1875–1876 |
William B. C. Brown | Democratic | 1876–1877 |
Daniel M. Kenfield | Republican | 1877–1883 |
John P. Dunn | Democratic | 1883–1891 |
Edward P. Colgan | Republican | 1891–1906 |
A. B. Nye | Republican | 1906–1913 |
John S. Chambers | Republican | 1913–1920 |
Ray L. Riley | Republican | 1921–1937 |
Harry B. Riley
|
Republican | 1937–1946 |
Thomas Kuchel | Republican | 1946–1953 |
Robert C. Kirkwood | Republican | 1953–1959 |
Alan Cranston | Democratic | 1959–1967 |
Houston I. Flournoy
|
Republican | 1967–1975 |
Kenneth Cory
|
Democratic | 1975–1987 |
Gray Davis | Democratic | 1987–1995 |
Kathleen Connell | Democratic | 1995–2003 |
Steve Westly | Democratic | 2003–2007 |
John Chiang | Democratic | 2007–2015 |
Betty Yee | Democratic | 2015–2023 |
Malia Cohen | Democratic | 2023–present |
References
- ^ "Controller Malia M. Cohen". California State Controller's Office. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "State Controller's Functions". California State Controller's Office. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "Boards and Commissions". California State Controller's Office. Retrieved October 1, 2021.