New York State Comptroller Explained

Post:New York State Comptroller
Flag:Flag of New York.svg
Flagsize:120px
Flagcaption:Flag of the State of New York
Insignia:Seal of New York (state).svg
Insigniasize:110px
Insigniacaption:Seal of the State of New York
Incumbent:Thomas DiNapoli
Incumbentsince:February 7, 2007
Department:Department of Audit and Control[1]
Termlength:Four years
Constituting Instrument:New York Constitution, Executive Law
Formation:1797
First:Samuel Jones
Salary:$210,000 (2019)

The New York state comptroller is an elected constitutional officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the New York state government's Department of Audit and Control.[2] Sixty-one individuals have held the office of State Comptroller since statehood. The incumbent is Thomas DiNapoli, a Democrat.

Powers and duties

The state comptroller is in effect New York's chief fiscal officer. Article V, Section 1, of the New York Constitution requires the state comptroller "to audit all vouchers before payment and all official accounts", "to audit the accrual and collection of all revenues and receipts", and "to prescribe such methods of accounting as are necessary for the performance of the foregoing duties". Furthermore, the State Constitution vests the safekeeping and protection of all state funds in the state comptroller, stating: "[t]he payment of any money of the state, or of any money under its control, or the refund of any money paid to the state, except upon audit by the comptroller, shall be void..."[3] In accordance with this constitutional framework, the state comptroller has broad superintending authority unlike any other state auditor or treasurer in the nation to ensure that state agencies and local governments alike use taxpayer money effectively and efficiently to promote the common good. For example, the state comptroller:

  1. Serves as sole trustee of the $258.1 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (value as of March 31, 2021), making the State Comptroller and his or her Department of Audit and Control one of the largest institutional investors in the world;
  2. Administers the New York State and Local Retirement System for public employees, with more than one million members, retirees and beneficiaries and more than 3,000 employers;
  3. Prescribes and maintains the state's accounting system and administers the State's approximately $16.7 billion payroll;
  4. Reports on the condition of the state's finances;
  5. Manages and issues the state debt;
  6. Reviews state contracts and audits payments to vendors;
  7. Conducts financial, compliance, and performance audits of local governments, state agencies, and public benefit corporations;
  8. Oversees the fiscal affairs of local governments, including New York City, and prescribes uniform systems of accounts, budgets, and financial reports therefor;
  9. Investigates waste, fraud, and abuse of public resources;
  10. Stewards the Justice Court Fund and the Oil Spill Fund;
  11. Functions as custodian of more than $17 billion in unclaimed funds, restoring lost accounts to their rightful owners; and
  12. Holds training conferences and provides technical assistance to improve state and local government operations.[4]

History

In 1776, the New York Provincial Congress appointed an auditor-general to settle the public accounts. After his resignation, the Council of Appointment appointed an auditor to succeed. In 1797, the office of the state comptroller was created by the State Legislature to succeed the state auditor. The comptroller was appointed by the Council of Appointment to a one-year term, and could be re-appointed without term limit. In 1800, the Legislature reduced the salary of the comptroller from $3,000 to $2,500, and Samuel Jones declined to be re-appointed.

Under the Constitution of 1821, the comptroller was elected by joint ballot of the New York State Legislature to a three-year term. Under the Constitution of 1846, the office became elective by general election, and the comptroller was elected with the other state cabinet officers in odd years to a two-year term, serving in the second year of the governor in office and the first year of the succeeding governor. The comptroller was elected in 1895 to a three-year term, and subsequently the state officers were elected in even years and served a two-year term concurrently with the governor. In 1926, the responsibilities of the New York State Treasurer were transferred to the comptroller as the head of the Department of Audit and Control. Since 1938, the comptroller has been elected to a four-year term, like the governor.

New York state comptrollers

ImageNameTook officeLeft officePartyNotes
Comfort SandsJuly 24, 1776March 23, 1782as Auditor-General [5]
Peter T. CurteniusApril 2, 17821797as Auditor
Samuel JonesMarch 15, 1797March 12, 1800
John Vernon HenryMarch 12, 1800August 10, 1801Federalist
Elisha JenkinsAugust 10, 1801March 16, 1806Dem.-Rep.appointed Secretary of State
Archibald McIntyreMarch 26, 1806February 12, 1821Dem.-Rep./Clintonian
John SavageFebruary 12, 1821January 29, 1823Dem.-Rep.appointed Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court
William L. MarcyFebruary 13, 1823January 21, 1829Dem.-Rep./Bucktailappointed to the New York Supreme Court shortly before the end of his second term
Silas WrightJanuary 27, 1829January 7, 1833Democraticelected a U.S. Senator from New York during his second term
Azariah C. FlaggJanuary 11, 1833February 4, 1839Democratictwo terms
Bates CookeFebruary 4, 1839January 1841Whigresigned because of bad health
John A. CollierJanuary 27, 1841February 7, 1842Whigelected to a term of three years, but in 1842 all Whig state officers were removed by Democratic majority of the State Legislature
Azariah C. FlaggFebruary 7, 1842December 31, 1847Democratictwo terms, legislated out of office by the Constitution of 1846
Millard FillmoreJanuary 1, 1848February 20, 1849Whigfirst Comptroller elected by general ballot; went on to be U.S. Vice President and President
Washington HuntFebruary 20, 1849December 18, 1850Whigelected by the State Legislature to fill unexpired term, then re-elected, then elected Governor of New York
Philo C. FullerDecember 18, 1850December 31, 1851Whigappointed to fill unexpired term
John C. WrightJanuary 1, 1852December 31, 1853Democratic
James M. CookJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1855Whig
Lorenzo BurrowsJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1857American
Sanford E. ChurchJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1859Democratic
Robert DennistonJanuary 1, 1860December 31, 1861Republican
Lucius RobinsonJanuary 1, 1862December 31, 1865Uniontwo terms
Thomas HillhouseJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1867Republican
William F. AllenJanuary 1, 1868July 1, 1870Democraticelected a judge of the New York Court of Appeals
Asher P. NicholsJuly 1, 1870December 31, 1871Democraticappointed to fill unexpired term, elected for the remainder of the term in Nov. 1870
Nelson K. HopkinsJanuary 1, 1872December 31, 1875Republicantwo terms
Lucius RobinsonJanuary 1, 1876December 31, 1876Democraticelected Governor of New York
Frederic P. OlcottJanuary 1, 1877December 31, 1879Democraticappointed to fill unexpired term, then elected for a full term in Nov. 1877
James W. WadsworthJanuary 1, 1880December 31, 1881Republican
Ira DavenportJanuary 1, 1882December 31, 1883Republican
Alfred C. ChapinJanuary 1, 1884December 31, 1887Democratictwo terms
Edward WempleJanuary 1, 1888December 31, 1891Democratictwo terms
Frank CampbellJanuary 1, 1892December 31, 1893Democratic
James A. RobertsJanuary 1, 1894December 31, 1898Republicantwo terms (1894–95, 1896–98)
William J. MorganJanuary 1, 1899September 5, 1900Republicandied in office
Theodore P. GilmanSeptember 5, 1900December 31, 1900Republicanas First Deputy Comptroller acted until being appointed to fill unexpired term
Erastus C. KnightJanuary 1, 1901December 28, 1901Republicanelected Mayor of Buffalo
Nathan L. MillerDecember 30, 1901November 1903Republicanappointed to fill unexpired term, then elected for a full term in Nov. 1902, then resigned to take office as a justice of the New York Supreme Court
Otto KelseyNovember 12, 1903May 2, 1906Republicanappointed to fill unexpired term, then elected for a full term in Nov. 1904, then appointed Superintendent of Insurance
William C. WilsonMay 2, 1906December 31, 1906Republicanas First Deputy Comptroller acted until being appointed on November 8 to fill unexpired term
Martin H. GlynnJanuary 1, 1907December 31, 1908Democratic
Charles H. GausJanuary 1, 1909October 31, 1909Republicandied in office
Otto KelseyOctober 31, 1909November 11, 1909Republicanas First Deputy Comptroller acted until the appointment of a successor
Clark WilliamsNovember 11, 1909December 31, 1910Republicanappointed to fill unexpired term
William SohmerJanuary 1, 1911December 31, 1914Democratictwo terms
Eugene M. TravisJanuary 1, 1915December 31, 1920Republicanthree terms
James A. WendellJanuary 1, 1921May 10, 1922Republicandied in office
William J. MaierMay 10, 1922December 31, 1922Republicanas First Deputy Comptroller acted until being appointed on May 22 to fill unexpired term
James W. FlemingJanuary 1, 1923December 31, 1924Democratic
Vincent B. MurphyJanuary 1, 1925December 31, 1926Republican
Morris S. TremaineJanuary 1, 1927October 12, 1941Democraticseven terms, died in office
Harry D. YatesOctober 12, 1941October 17, 1941Democraticas First Deputy Comptroller acted until the appointment of a successor
Joseph V. O'LearyOctober 17, 1941December 31, 1942American Laborappointed to fill unexpired term
Frank C. MooreJanuary 1, 1943December 31, 1950Republicantwo terms
J. Raymond McGovernJanuary 1, 1951December 31, 1954Republican
Arthur Levitt Sr.January 1, 1955December 31, 1978Democraticsix terms, longest-serving Comptroller (24 years)
Edward ReganJanuary 1, 1979May 7, 1993Republicanresigned in the middle of his fourth term
Carl McCallMay 7, 1993December 31, 2002Democraticelected by State Legislature to fill unexpired term, then re-elected twice
Alan HevesiJanuary 1, 2003December 22, 2006Democraticre-elected to a second term, but resigned prior to its commencement[6]
Thomas SanzilloDecember 22, 2006February 7, 2007as First Deputy Comptroller acted until the election of a successor by the State Legislature
Thomas DiNapoliFebruary 7, 2007presentDemocraticelected by the State Legislature to fill unexpired term, then re-elected four times

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.budget.ny.gov/pubs/archive/fy21/exec/agencies/appropdata/AuditandControlDepartmentof.html Division of the Budget Agency Appropriations
  2. [Executive Law]
  3. Web site: Article V, Section 1, New York Constitution. New York Senate. December 9, 2021.
  4. Web site: About the Comptroller's Office. Office of the New York State Comptroller. December 9, 2021.
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=E3sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA34 Google Books: The New York Civil List
  6. Web site: Hevesi Resigns, Pleading Guilty to Fraud Count. 22 December 2006. The New York Times. 12 March 2018.

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