Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives

Guide to the Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports, 1890-1988


1802-J7





Finding aid prepared by Anne Frantilla

Finding aid encoded by Shannon B. Lynch, 2004
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection
 
Repository Name:
 

Seattle Municipal Archives

PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
 
Collection Number:
 

1802-J7
 
Creator:
 

Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk

 
Title:
 

Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports
 
Dates:
 

1890-1988 (inclusive)
 
Quantity:
 

3.8 cubic ft.
(10 boxes)
 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Annual financial reports from the Office of the Comptroller, Seattle, Washington, 1890-1988.

 

Historical Note

The Comptroller was responsible for supervising the City's financial affairs, including administration of the accounting system, payroll system, investments, and borrowing. 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 1992 City Charter amendment abolished the positions of City Comptroller and City Treasurer, merging the two offices to create the Department of Finance.

After 1978, annual reports on the financial condition of the City were known as Comprehensive Annual Financial reports. This change reflected the implementation of a computer program, the Central Financial Management System. The position of City Clerk was made a separate position within the Legislative Department as of 1993.

The Comptrollers who have served the City include: 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 (1986-1993).

Content Description

Annual reports for the Comptroller date from 1890 to 1992; 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 governmen.

Arrangement

Annual reports are arranged chronologically by year.

Administrative Information

Custodial History 

Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation 

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

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
Seattle (Wash.)--Economic conditions
Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government
Controllership--Washington (State)--Seattle
Finance, Public--Washington (State)--Seattle--Accounting
Real property--Washington (State)--Seattle
Annual reports
Comptrollers--Washington (State)--Seattle
Other Creators :
Seattle (Wash.). Comptroller's Office

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


 

Office of the Comptroller Annual Financial Reports, 1890-1988
 
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