State Auditor

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State Auditor Seal of Missouri

A state auditor is the term used in the United States to designate an elected or appointed government official who serves as a state auditor at the state level . In some states, these individuals also hold the title of comptroller or controller .

Significance of the office in the different states

In most countries, the auditor heads an appropriate authority and is usually a member of the state government. In Texas , the State Auditor and Efficiency Expert was established by the state parliament in 1929 . The respective office holder was given the authority to control all account books and accounts of the state authorities. He was also responsible for checking the efficiency of state employees. The auditor was appointed by the respective governor , who also had the right to recall him at any time. In 1943 the Texas Legislature made a constitutional amendment, according to which the MPs now elected the State Auditor . The incumbent now also had to be a certified auditor. These changes led to a significantly higher degree of continuity in the office, in which there had previously been numerous changes.

In Minnesota , the state auditor is a four-year political electoral office. The Auditor of Minnesota is responsible for overseeing local government finances to ensure that cities and towns run responsibly in the interests of taxpayers.

The situation in California , the third largest and most populous US state, is complex . Here, too, there is the office of a state auditor , who heads an independent and non-partisan authority, but which carries out its audits as an external body and is more like a court of auditors according to European understanding. This contrasts with the office of California State Controller , who is elected by the people and is a member of the government. The state controller acts as the chief financial officer in the governor's cabinet and, by constitution, is the state auditor and accountant. The division of tasks in Illinois is comparable .

In the state of New York the legal situation is a little different. Originally there was also a state auditor here , but in 1797 he was replaced by a state comptroller . This was appointed by the governor and had the task of sifting through the accounts books of the State Treasurer . In 1846, through a majority vote at a constitutional convention, the citizens of New York obtained the right to directly elect the comptroller . The future US President Millard Fillmore was the first winner of the relevant election . In 1926 the office of New York State Treasurer was abolished; since then the duties of the finance minister have also been with the comptroller .

Current incumbent

Betty Yee, California State Controller
Julie Blaha, Minnesota State Auditor

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ State of Texas: History of the State Auditor's Office ( Memento of the original from February 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sao.state.tx.us
  2. ^ State of Minnesota: Description of the Office of the State Auditor
  3. ^ California State Auditor: Frequently Asked Questions
  4. ↑ California State Controller's Office: About Us ( Memento of the original dated February 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sco.ca.gov
  5. ^ Office of the New York State Comptroller: What are the Comptroller's Responsibilities?