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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
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Historical Note

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.

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Content Description

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.

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Other Descriptive Information

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 was periodically purged. 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.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

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

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Administrative Information

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

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

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Comptroller's Office

Geographical Names

  • Seattle
  • Seattle (Wash.)
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