Established in 1889 after statehood, the Office of the State Auditor is part of Montana's executive branch. The responsibilities of the office originally were to superintend the fiscal duties of the state. According to the statutes of 1897, 1921, 1935, and 1947, the auditor was required to report biennially to the governor on the funds of the state, and the revenues and expenditures of the preceding two years, along with an estimate of revenues and expenditures of the upcoming year; suggest plans for the improvement and management of state revenues; keep and state all accounts in which the state is interested; keep an account of all warrants drawn on the state treasurer; institute suits to collect all delinquent monies; draw warrants on the state treasurer; function as a member of the state board of equalization; conduct examination of insurance companies when necessary; approve blanks for election expense accounts; receive financial and statistical reports from railroads; and procure and print all licenses.
In 1909 the auditor assumed the position of ex-officio commissioner of insurance. In 1911 the Office of State Fire Marshal was created under supervision of the auditor; the auditor appointed the state fire marshal. In 1913 the state auditor was given the responsibilities of the ex-officio investment commissioner and, in 1921, those of the ex-officio real estate commissioner.
When the Department of Revenue was created in the 1970s, it assumed the responsibility of managing the state's fiscal matters. Oversight of the State Fire Marshal was transferred to the Department of Justice, and oversight of railroads was brought under the Public Service Commission. As of 2021, the role of the Office of the State Auditor, which is overseen by the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance is to regulate the insurance and securities industries and ensure fairness and transparency in those industries for Montanans.
This collection consists mainly of financial records and general ledgers, which include both cash and warrant accounts. The ledgers list credits and debits for each account without detail. The collection also contains correspondence and other records created by the following State Auditors: John Holmes (1932-1962); Andrea "Andy" Bennett (1984-1992); and Monica Lindeen (2008-2016), whose official title was Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. Holmes' correspondence documents the daily operations of the office, while Bennett's correspondence is related to hosting the 1990 North American Securities Association Administrators (NASAA) Convention held in Billings Montana. Lindeen's correspondence focuses primarily on healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
In addition, the collection contains records of the State Fire Marshal, including a fire record listing of fires in Montana from 1911 to 1926, a register of powder licenses, and a record of fire investigations. There are also examples of bounty certificates for coyotes, bobcats, and squirrels in this collection.
This collection is arranged by creating department or person; thereunder, chronologically when possible. The general ledgers are arranged by state agency or fund.
This collection is open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases, permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright holders. For more information, contact the Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives.
[Name of document or photograph number], Montana Office of the State Auditor Records, RS 81, [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives, Helena, Montana.
The materials in this collection were obtained via a series of transfers from the State Auditor and Secretary of State's offices. Information about specific transfers is available upon request.
Future records transfers from the State Auditor's office will be added to this collection.
The Montana State Board of Examiners Records, RS 196, contain claim books with detailed account activity for individual state agencies. This information supplements what can be found in the general ledgers housed in this collection.
The Montana Territorial Auditor's Records, RS 027, contain information about Montana's finances prior to statehood.