Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports, 1890-2007

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Comptroller's Office
Title
Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports
Dates
1890-2007 (inclusive)
Quantity
4 cubic feet
Collection Number
1802-J7
Summary
Annual financial reports from the Office of the Comptroller.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Comptroller was responsible by City Charter for supervising the City's financial affairs including administration of the accounting system, payroll system, investments, and borrowing. The Office also maintained a general auditing function. The position of Comptroller was established by Charter in 1890 and was appointed by the Mayor. The 1896 City Charter designated the Comptroller the ex-officio City Clerk and made the position elective. A 1991 City Charter amendment abolished the positions of City Comptroller and City Treasurer and merged the two functions to create the Department of Finance in 1993. The City was served by just twelve Comptrollers during the office's 100 year existence: Chauncey W. Ferris, 1890-1892; J.M. Carson, 1892-1894; Will H. Parry, 1894-1900; Frank H. Paul, 1900-1902; John Riplinger, 1902-1906; Harry W. Carroll, 1906-1910 and 1912-1938; William Bothwell, 1910-1912; W.C. Thomas, 1938-1958; Carl G. Erlandson, 1958-1976; Edward L. Kidd, 1976-1979; Tim Hill, 1980-1985; and Norward J. Brooks, 1986-1992.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Annual reports for the Comptroller date from 1890; after 1978, annual reports on the financial condition of the City were known as Comprehensive Annual Reports. This change reflected, in part, the implementation of a computer program, the Central Financial Management System. Researchers should note that there is a separate record group for the Department of Finance. The earliest reports contain disbursements and receipts by fund and department. Beginning in 1895, some reports include more narrative. The 1896 report of the License Department is included, as it was part of the Comptroller's Office. Reports in the early 1900s include lists of City property and real estate. Published and unpublished reports appear for some years; in these cases the published report has the more complete financial statement. In 1932, annual reports for the Weights and Measures Division begin to be a part of the Comptroller's report because the Department of Public Utilities was discontinued and the Weights and Measures Division, which had been a part of that Department, was transferred to the Comptroller's. Reports in the late 1950s through the 1970s include organization charts for City government.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

CF Project. A Comptroller or Clerk File (CF) can consist of correspondence, reports, petitions, contracts, agreements, etc. from elected officials, City departments, other government agencies, or the general public, which have been placed "on file" with the Office of the City Clerk (OCC). They are primarily permanent records, but also include routine material which is periodically purged. Beginning in 1987, certain archival records identified in the CF have been removed, arranged into records series, and incorporated into the collection of the Seattle Municipal Archives, a program of the OCC. A single accession number, 1987-048, was assigned to the transfer of the CF to the Archives. The initial transfer included records dating from 1895. These records remain in the CF series until approximately 15 years after they were filed with the OCC, at which point they are removed to the Archives. The transfer of CF records to the Archives is routine and regular. New accession numbers are not created when these transfers are made.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports, Record Series 1802-J7 Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1890-1892
1 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1895-1898
1 3 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1899-1901
1 4 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1902-1903
1 5 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1904-1905
1 6 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1904-1906
1 7 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1906-1907
2 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1908-1909
2 2 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1910-1911
2 3 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1912-1913
2 4 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1914-1915
2 5 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1916
2 6 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1918-1921
2 7 Comptroller, Biennial Financial Report 1922-1923
2 8 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1924
3 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1925-1927
3 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1928-1929
3 3 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1930-1931
3 4 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1932-1933
3 5 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1934-1935
3 6 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1936-1937
4 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1938-1939
4 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1940-1941
4 3 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1942-1943
4 4 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1944-1945
4 5 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1946-1947
5 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1948-1949
5 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1950
5 3 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1951-1952
5 4 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1953
5 5 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1954
5 6 Comptroller, Comparative Budget Statement 1954
6 1 Comptroller Annual Financial Reports 1955-1958
6 2 Comptroller Annual Financial Reports 1955-1958
6 3 Comptroller Annual Financial Reports 1959-1960
6 4 Comptroller Annual Financial Reports 1961
7 1 Comptroller Annual Financial Reports 1962
7 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1964-1966
7 3 Comptroller Annual Financial Report 1967
7 4 Comptroller Annual Financial Report 1968-1969
7 5 Comptroller Annual Financial Report 1970
7 6 Comptroller Annual Financial Report 1971
7 7 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1972
8 1 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1973
8 2 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1974
8 3 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1975
8 4 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1977
8 5 Comptroller, Annual Financial Report 1978
8 6 Comptroller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1979
9 1 Comptroller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1980
9 2 Comptroller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1981
9 3 Comptroller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1982
9 4 Comptroller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1983
9 5 Comptroller, Annual Financial Review 1983
9 6 Comptroller, Annual Report on General Fund 1983
9 7 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1984
10 1 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1985
10 2 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1988
10 3 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1991
10 4 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 1992
10 5 Comptroller Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2007

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Financial management--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Comptroller's Office

Geographical Names

  • Seattle
  • Seattle (Wash.)