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Show Why the Cry for a Comptroller? There has been agitation of late for creating the orifice of Salt Lake City Comptroller. ' One can't help but wonder why especially since the persons per-sons who would fill this proposed office would have almost no authority to control. The city's present auditor and his staff are a dedicated group whose objective is to serve the public and the Board of City Commissioners and assure all of a proper check and balance of all city funds. Let's see what an auditor is and what his duties are in Salt ' Lake City. Then decide if it is necessary to add another public official (who would have to have an assistant and a staff and an office and all the trappings) to the city payroll. Webster's Dictionary defines the meaning of the word "Auditor" as a person appointed to examine and verify accounts and claims. The title of "Salt Lake City Auditor" means that he is an independently elected city official with the full responsibility of a check and balance of all city funds. His duties are clearly outlined in both the state statutes and the city ordinances. (Continued on Page Four) ' Why the Cry for a Comptroller?! (Continued from Page 1) First, he is fully responsible for the accounting procedures of all receipts from the entire city and all of its departments, and permits no expenditures within the city budget without full city commission approval to be disbursed by his department. Monthly financial reports are submitted by. him to the public and to the board of city commissioners, which are a matter of record, always accompanied by recommendations as to the fiscal program. His office is also required to maintain the master book-' book-' keeping system for the entire city as well as to engineer and set up the accounting and bookkeeping programs within each department, de-partment, which includes all proper forms to coordinate the reporting to the central office. He is a budget director and is required to enforce the compliance com-pliance to all budget regulations. He is required to set up the financial basis and to sign all bond issues. The City Auditor must administer all insurance programs on city payrolls; administer all retirement programs, compensation compen-sation programs, and handle the affairs of all the internal association asso-ciation groups, such as credit unions, etc. He is required to keep a complete personnel record of all city employees and to perform per-form periodic audits of all divisions of city government and to fulfill hundreds of other requirements placed upon him by the board of city commissioners. He is also required to coordinate all payroll deductions, including tax deductions for both the federal and state governments govern-ments and last but not least he must act as an alternate Commissioner Commis-sioner to offset a division of appointment to replace a Commissioner Commis-sioner when the other four commissioners are deadlocked. ' St I |