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Responsibilities of the Controller’s Office

The State Controller is the Chief Fiscal Officer of California, the sixth largest economy in the world. She helps administer two of the largest public pension funds in the nation and serves on 78 state boards and commissions. These are charged with duties ranging from protecting our coastline to helping build hospitals. The Controller is the state’s independent fiscal watchdog, providing sound fiscal control over more than $100 billion in receipts and disbursements of public funds a year, offering fiscal guidance to local governments, and uncovering fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

The State Controller's Functions

• Account for and control disbursement of all state funds.
• Determine legality and accuracy of every claim against the State.
• Issue warrants in payment of the State’s bills including lottery prizes.
• Administer the Uniform State Payroll System.
• Audit and process all personnel and payroll transactions for state civil service employees, exempt employees and California State University employees.
• Responsible for auditing various state and local government programs.
• Inform the public of the State’s financial condition.
• Administer the Unclaimed Property Law.
• Inform the public of financial transactions of city, county and district governments.