Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
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)18902007
- 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 Published and unpublished reports appear for some years; in these cases the published report has the more complete financial statement.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.)
