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Massachusetts Comptroller of the Commonwealth
| Massachusetts Comptroller | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $184,661 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $47,375,347 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Coterminous with governor |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by the governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Massachusetts Comptroller of the Commonwealth
Bill McNamara | |
| Other Massachusetts Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs • Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development • Public Utilities Commission | |
The Comptroller of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is an appointed state executive position in the Massachusetts state government, responsible for oversight of the state's finances.[1]
Current officeholder
The current Massachusetts Comptroller of the Commonwealth is Bill McNamara (nonpartisan). McNamara assumed office in 2020.
Authority
The comptroller's powers are derived from Section 1 of Chapter 7A of the Massachusetts General Laws.[2]
Chapter 7A, Section 1 (excerpt):
| There shall be an office of the comptroller which shall be an independent state agency. The comptroller shall be the administrative and executive head of said office and shall be appointed by the governor for a term coterminous with the governor's. The person so appointed shall be selected without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability and an advanced degree in accounting, auditing, financial management, business administration, or public administration. |
Qualifications
The qualifications for serving as comptroller are laid out in Section 1 of Chapter 7A of the Massachusetts General Laws. An appointee to the position of comptroller must hold an advanced degree in accounting, auditing, financial management, business administration, or public administration.[2]
Appointments
The comptroller is appointed by the governor for a term coterminous with the governor's, as laid out in Section 1 of Chapter 7A of the Massachusetts General Laws. A comptroller may be removed from office by the governor with valid cause. Valid causes for a comptroller's removal include not carrying out the office's duties, misconduct in office, or criminal behavior.[2]
Chapter 7A, Section 1 (excerpt):
| The person so appointed may be removed from said office, for cause, by the governor. Such cause shall include neglect of duty, misconduct, or conviction of a crime. |
Vacancies
The procedure for filling a vacancy in the office of comptroller is laid out in Section 1 of Chapter 7A of the Massachusetts General Laws. In the event of a vacancy in the comptroller's office, the governor appoints a successor to finish the unexpired term.[2]
Chapter 7A, Section 1 (excerpt):
| The person so appointed may be removed from said office, for cause, by the governor. Such cause shall include neglect of duty, misconduct, or conviction of a crime. |
Duties
The duties of the comptroller are laid out in Sections 3-19 of Chapter 7A of the Massachusetts General Laws. The comptroller's primary responsibility is oversight and approval of expenditures made from state accounts. The comptroller's responsibilities include:[2]
- Recording expenses due from state accounts and maintaining records of previous expenses
- Audits of state financial operations
- Management of the state's accounting systems
- The publication of annual financial reports
- The creation of relevant rules and regulations
State budget
- See also: Massachusetts state budget and finances
The Office of the Comptroller's budget for the 2025 fiscal year was $47,375,347.[3]
Compensation
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $184,661, according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $184,661, according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
2021
In 2021, the comptroller received a salary of $176,624, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2020
In 2020 the comptroller received a salary of $176,624, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2019
In 2019 the comptroller received a salary of $176,624, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2018
In 2018 the comptroller received a salary of $176,624, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2017
In 2017 the comptroller received a salary of $176,624, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Massachusetts Comptroller of the Commonwealth has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Contact
1 Ashburton Place
9th Floor
Boston, MA, 02108
Email: comptroller.info@mass.gov
Telephone: 617-727-5000
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Massachusetts Office of the Comptroller, "About the Office of the Comptroller," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Chapter 7A: OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "FY 2025 Enacted," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 21, 2021
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