Los Angeles City Controller Explained

Post:Los Angeles City Controller
Incumbent:Kenneth Mejia
Incumbentsince:December 12, 2022
Termlength:4 years (Renewable once)
Website:controller.lacity.gov
Insignia:Seal of Los Angeles.svg
Flag:Flag of Los Angeles, California.svg
Type:Comptroller
Flagcaption:Flag of Los Angeles
Insigniacaption:Seal of Los Angeles

The Los Angeles City Controller is an official in the government of the city of Los Angeles, California. The City Controller is the paymaster and chief accounting officer of the city. Along with the Mayor and the City Attorney, the City Controller is chosen by popular vote every four years.

The position began in 1878 as the Los Angeles City Auditor and in the early days included secretarial duties for the Los Angeles Common Council as part of the job. Upon the re-election of John S. Myers in 1925, when the city approved a new charter, the name of the position was changed to City Controller. In 2000, another update to the city charter added the power and responsibility of conducting "performance audits" of departmental effectiveness.[1]

List of City Controllers

City Auditor (1879–1925)
No.PortraitOfficeholderTenure startTenure end
1William W. RobinsonDecember 5, 1879December 13, 1886
2Freeman G. TeedDecember 13, 1886December 10, 1888
3M. F. StilesDecember 10, 1888February 21, 1889
4Frank E. LopezFebruary 25, 1889December 12, 1892
5Fred H. TealeDecember 12, 1892December 16, 1896
6Thomas E. NicolsDecember 16, 1896December 15, 1898
7E. A. CarsonDecember 15, 1898December 12, 1900
8Elijah E. UngerDecember 12, 1900October 17, 1903
9Lewis H. SchwaebeOctober 19, 1903December 13, 1906
10William C. MushetDecember 13, 1906December 10, 1909
11John S. MyersDecember 10, 1909June 30, 1935
City Controller (1925–present)
No.PortraitOfficeholderTenure startTenure end
11John S. MyersJune 30, 1935January 19, 1937
12Dan O. HoyeJanuary 19, 1937June 30, 1961
13July 1, 1961June 30, 1977
14Ira ReinerJuly 1, 1977June 30, 1981
15James HahnJuly 1, 1981June 30, 1985
16Rick TuttleJuly 1, 1985June 30, 2001
17Laura N. ChickJuly 1, 2001June 30, 2009
18Wendy GreuelJuly 1, 2009June 30, 2013
19Ron GalperinJuly 1, 2013December 9, 2022
20Kenneth MejiaDecember 12, 2022Incumbent

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sonenshein. Raphael J.. Los Angeles : structure of a city government. 2006. League of Women Voters of Los Angeles. [Los Angeles]. 0-9668991-1-3.