Comptroller: Other Duties.

Milwaukee City Charter § 3-18

in effect

3-18. Comptroller: Other Duties. 1. a. Said comptroller, in addition to his other powers and duties, shall have authority to examine and investigate the reports, vouchers and accounts and such other papers and books of any office, board or department of the city as relate to or in any way affect the finances of such city, and shall also have authority to establish methods of auditing bills payable by the city, and shall establish a voucher system whereby any warrants, checks or orders drawn and paid by the city shall be accessible for public audit at all times. After the establishment of such method of auditing bills payable and said voucher system, it shall be unnecessary for the comptroller to report to the common council bills presented to him, nor shall it be necessary for the common council to pass upon and allow such bills, nor to publish in its proceedings the bills so paid, but said comptroller shall have power and authority to audit, adjust, and if found to be proper charges against the city, allow all such bills certified by the department incurring the indebtedness, growing out of any contract or agreement made by or on behalf of such city in accordance with appropriations made by the common council. When any such bill or bills shall have been processed by the comptroller in accordance with this provision, if and in the event there is at the time sufficient money in the general fund of the city to the city's credit for such purposes in any bank or banks to meet the amount of such bill or bills, the proper city officers may draw a bank check for such sums. If there is not sufficient money in the general fund or in such banks, an order shall be drawn by the mayor and city clerk and countersigned by the comptroller, specifying the purpose for which it is drawn and to whom payable and reciting that it is payable on or before February 1 of the following year out of any funds in the treasury belonging to the city and not otherwise appropriated, all such orders to be made payable to the order of the person in whose favor they are drawn; and such orders shall be transferable by endorsement and shall be received in payment of any taxes or assessment levied by the authority of the city, except taxes for interest and sinking fund on general obligation city bonds and notes without further action of the common council. b. The comptroller shall have power to make such further provisions as to report by heads of the department and require such other information from heads of departments as may be reasonably necessary or proper to make the powers hereby conferred effective. c. The powers herein given are subject to direction by the common council. (S. 2, Ch. Ord. 326, Nov. 29, 1966.) 2. He shall examine all estimates of work to be done by the commissioner of public works of the city, and countersign all contracts entered into by said commissioner of public works, and all certificates of work given by him; and also all contracts made in behalf of the city; and no contract entered into or certificate issued against property, shall be of any validity unless countersigned by the comptroller, except as otherwise expressly provided in ch. 184, L. 1874. (S. 11, Ch. Ord. 310, Apr. 6, 1965.) 3. The comptroller shall keep a list of all certificates issued against property, and no later than the last regular meeting of the common council in November, shall report to the council a schedule of all the lots or parcels of land, which, under ch. 184, L. 1874, may be subject to any special tax or assessment, and also the amount of such special tax or assessment which it may be necessary to levy on each such lot or parcel of land, with a full statement of the several acts done and performed in reference to such special taxes or assessments, which said schedule shall be verified by the affidavit of the comptroller, and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated in all cases wherein the validity of such special tax or assessment shall come in question. The common council shall, if from such report they shall deem such special tax legal and just, cause the same to be levied in pursuance of the provisions of ch. 184, L. 1874. (Sub. 3 am. File #891484, Jan. 16, 1990; eff. April 4, 1990.) 5. He shall examine the reports, books, papers, vouchers and accounts of the treasurer, the collector of the water rates, and of any other officer authorized to collect or receive, or charged with the duty of collecting or receiving moneys for the city, and shall perform such other duties as are prescribed in ch. 184, L. 1874, and as the common council may from time to time direct. (S. 14, Ch. Ord. 310, Apr. 6, 1965.) 6. The comptroller shall keep a record of all his acts and doings, which record shall be open to the inspection of all parties interested. He shall not be directly or indirectly interested in any contract or job to which the city is a party. (S. 16, Ch. Ord. 310, Apr. 6, 1965.)

Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/CH3.pdf#page=5Fetched: 10/26/2026