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What does the State Controller do?
A statewide elected official, the Controller serves as California’s
Chief Fiscal Officer. In addition to managing the state’s
checkbook, the Controller serves on a variety of boards and commissions,
influencing policy on the economy, the environment, education and
labor.
More
information.
On what boards and commissions does the State Controller serve?
The Controller sits on 76 state boards and
commissions. More
information
Is the State Controller elected?
Yes, to a four-year term. As with all other statewide elected officials
in California, he is limited to two four-year terms.
What is the
organization structure of the State Controller’s
Office?
The State Controller’s Office, commonly known in Sacramento
as the SCO, comprises six divisions, each with a unique fiscal responsibility
for the state of California. They are:
The Division of Accounting and Reporting (DAR),
which, among other duties, provides periodic reports on the financial
status of the
state and administers various taxes; the Administration and Disbursements Division,
which prints 28 million warrants, the state’s word for checks,
every year; the Audits Division, which investigates
whether taxpayers dollars are being spent as the law intended; the Personnel/Payroll
Services Division (PPSD), which handles the payroll for
all state employees and the California State University system; the Information
Systems Division, which uses information technology to help
the office run more efficiently; and the Unclaimed Property Division,
is responsible for the state’s
unclaimed property. More
information
Does the State Controller report to the Governor?
No. The Controller’s authority is independent.
How can I
work at the State Controller’s Office?
We frequently have openings for all types of positions. Please frequently
check for job announcements here. More
information
What is the difference between a State Controller and a State Comptroller?
Nothing. Both are usually elected positions with wide-ranging fiscal
responsibilities. The word controller comes from the Latin words
meaning “against” and “rolls”; to be a controller
initially meant to check figures against an entity’s financial
rolls, or logs. The word comptroller is derived from the Latin verb
meaning “to compute,” a result of mistaken prefixes by
the British in the 15th century. Essentially, the two words are two
different ways of saying the same thing. |
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