Draft:Baltimore City Office of the Comptroller
Submission declined on 12 June 2025 by WeWake (talk).
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
Comment: Please note that the article currently only has primary resources. Please review the information about secondary sources in WP:GNG and include those sources if possible. WeWake (talk) 16:43, 12 June 2025 (UTC)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1857 |
| Jurisdiction | Baltimore City |
| Headquarters | Baltimore City Hall |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | https://comptroller.baltimorecity.gov/ |
The Baltimore City Office of the Comptroller[1] serves as the fiscal watchdog of city government, providing oversight of city finances and operations, The office also operates five agencies as directed by the Baltimore City Charter[2]. The Comptroller, one of only three citywide elected officials in Baltimore City government along with the Mayor and City Council President,[3] oversees operations.
Current Comptroller Bill Henry[4] is serving his second term in office[5]. Henry was first elected as Comptroller in 2020.[6]
Duties
[edit]Departments
[edit]The Baltimore City Comptroller’s Office supervises five city government agencies:
- The Department of Accounts Payable (AP)[7] is responsible for all payments and disbursements made by the City with the exception of payroll and debt management. In 2022 Baltimore City voters approved Question J, a charter amendment that transferred the Office of Accounts Payable from the Department of Finance to the Comptroller’s Office.[8]
- The Department of Audits[9] provides regular financial and performance audits of agencies and city government as a whole.
- The Department of Real Estate[10] manages Baltimore City’s real estate holdings.
- The Department of Telecommunications[11] provides telephone services to all city agencies.
- The Municipal Post Office[12] is responsible for handling the city’s mail, both by operating interagency mail service and serving as an intermediary with the United States Post Service for all mail coming to and from city agencies.
Board of Estimates
[edit]The Comptroller's Office manages the day-to-day operations of the Baltimore City Board of Estimates[13], a fiscal oversight body that formulates and executes fiscal policy. The Mayor, City Council President, Comptroller, the Director of the Department of Public Works and the Baltimore City Solicitor serve on the board.[14] The Comptroller's Office Board of Estimates duties include building an agenda, review, analysis and document retention.[15]
Along with the Board of Estimates the Comptroller serves on five separate municipal boards: the Board of Finance (BOF)[16], the Employees’ Retirement Systems Board (ERSB)[17], the Board of Trustees for the Retirement Savings Plan (RSP)[18], the Fire & Police Employees’ Retirement Systems Board (F&P)[19] and the board of the Baltimore Museum of Art.
History
[edit]Origins and Early History - 19th Century
[edit]The Office of the Comptroller was established in 1857 under Mayor Thomas Swann following a city ordinance reform. Initially, the office assumed responsibilities previously held by the City Register Collector & Auditor, including auditing and settling accounts and issuing licenses for markets, wagons, and theaters. The first Comptroller was Samuel Macubbin[20]. A significant development occurred in 1898, when an amendment to the City Charter moved the Comptroller’s Office into the newly created Department of Finance and changed the position from an appointed to an elected role, increasing its independence and accountability.[21]
20th Century
[edit]In 1926, the Comptroller’s auditing authority was formally transferred to the newly created Department of Audits. Around the same time, the office acquired oversight of telecommunications through the Municipal Telephone Exchange (now the Department of Telecommunications) and all city-owned real estate[22]. Further changes came with the 1964 City Charter revision, which moved the Department of Audits under the Comptroller's control and formally established the Department of Real Estate.[23] In 1967 the Department of Finance was removed from the Comptroller’s purview and placed directly under the Mayor's Office.[24]
List of Comptrollers
[edit]| Name | Years in Office |
|---|---|
| Samuel Macubbin | 1857-1876 |
| Joshua Vansant | 1876-1884 |
| James Horner | 1884-1896 |
| Charles Fenhagen | 1896-1899 |
| James Smith | 1900-1905 |
| Harry Hooper | 1905-1910 |
| James Thrift | 1911-1919 |
| Peter Tome | 1919-1923 |
| Walter Graham | 1923-1941 |
| A.L. Dell | 1941-1943 |
| Howard Crook | 1943-1947 |
| Neil McCardwell | 1947-1955 |
| Dr. Walter Graham Jr. | 1955-1963 |
| Hyman A.Pressman | 1963-1991 |
| Jaqueline McLean | 1991-1994 |
| Joan Pratt | 1995-2020 |
| Bill Henry | 2020-Present |
References
[edit]- ^ "Baltimore City Comptroller". Baltimore City Comptroller. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Charter of Baltimore City | City of Baltimore Law Library". codes.baltimorecity.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Article V Comptroller | City of Baltimore Law Library". codes.baltimorecity.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Comptroller Bill Henry". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Democrat Bill Henry remains Baltimore City comptroller after running unopposed | WBAL Baltimore News". www.wbal.com. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Bill Henry Unseats Six-Term City Comptroller Joan Pratt". WYPR. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Department of Accounts Payable". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Official 2022 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Department of Audits". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Department of Real Estate". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "The Department of Telecommunications". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Municipal Post Office". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Article VI Board of Estimates | City of Baltimore Law Library". codes.baltimorecity.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Board of Estimates". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Rules & Regulations". Baltimore City Comptroller. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Board of Finance". Board Of Finance. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "BCERS - Baltimore City Employee Retirement System". BCERS. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Retirement Savings Plan". BCERS. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Home - BCFPERS". 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records". guide.msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ^ "1984 Guide to the Baltimore City Archivesedited by William G. LeFurgy, lefurgy_1984-0072". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ^ "1984 Guide to the Baltimore City Archivesedited by William G. LeFurgy, lefurgy_1984-0072". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ^ "1984 Guide to the Baltimore City Archivesedited by William G. LeFurgy, lefurgy_1984-0072". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ^ "Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records". guide.msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- in-depth (not just passing mentions about the subject)
- reliable
- secondary
- independent of the subject
Make sure you add references that meet these criteria before resubmitting. Learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue. If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia.