New state comptroller title effective this month
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Indiana’s chief financial officer is taking on a new title this month.
Effective July 1, Indiana’s state auditor is now known as the state comptroller.
The change is largely in title only and comes to clarify confusion about the role of the comptroller’s office, which balances the state’s checkbook, distributes tax dollars, provides year-end financial reporting and pays state employees.
“Due to the previous title of State Auditor, the most common misconception of my office was that we audit the state, other local governments or even individual taxpayers,” State Comptroller Tera Klutz said in a news release. “Those audits are performed by the State Board of Accounts and the Department of Revenue.”
Klutz is Indiana’s 57th auditor and becomes its first comptroller under the new title. Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed her to the role in 2017. She was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
The comptroller change took effect this month after legislation authored this year by State Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, and sponsored by Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, spelled out that the new title should be used for conducting state business, including in contracts, on business cards and on stationery.
The recently enacted legislation does not change the state’s constitution, which creates the position, title and requirements for the comptroller’s election. It also does not invalidate any past business conducted under the state auditor title.
The change brings Indiana in alignment with 19 other states that refer to their chief financial officer as a state comptroller or controller.
“We will continue serving Hoosiers as we have for the last six years, and now by updating the title we are clearing up a long-running misconception,” Klutz said. “The responsibilities of the office haven’t changed — just the title on the door.”