Alaska Comptroller

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Alaska Comptroller

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General information
Office Type:  Nonpartisan
Office website:  Official Link
2024 FY Budget:  $11,728,500
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   Serves at pleasure of governor
Selection Method:  Appointed by the governor
Current Officeholder

Alaska Comptroller Kayla Wisner
Nonpartisan
Assumed office: October 1, 2019

Other Alaska Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorAttorney GeneralComptrollerEducation CommissionerRevenue CommissionerAgriculture DirectorInsurance DirectorNatural Resources CommissionerLabor CommissionerRegulatory Commission

The Comptroller of the State of Alaska is a state executive position in the Alaska state government. State law requires the comptroller to possess accounting experience, a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance and a current CPA certification.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Kayla Wisner. She was appointed to this position in 2019 to replace Scott Jones, who left to pursue another position within the Alaska Department of Revenue.[1][2]

Click here to view a larger-scale image of the AK Comptroller's organizational chart as of May 27, 2013.

Authority

The comptroller's powers are derived from Title 39, Chapter 25 of the Alaska State Statutes.

Chapter 25, Section 120:

Partially exempt service.

(a) Positions in the partially exempt service are included in the position classification plan established under this chapter and are compensated according to the pay plan under AS 39.27.011 .

(b) A person holding a position in the partially exempt service is not required to complete an assessment and is not eligible for a hearing by the personnel board in case of dismissal, demotion, or suspension. Positions in the partially exempt service are specifically exempt from the rules established under AS 39.25.150 (3) - (10), (12), (13), and (16).

(c) The following positions in the state service constitute the partially exempt service: [...]

[...] (10) the comptroller in the division of treasury, Department of Revenue;[...][3]

Qualifications

According to the state's Job Class Specifications, the following criteria must be met to qualify for comptroller:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college with a major in accounting or finance with an accounting emphasis;
  • Five years professional experience in accounting, two of which must be in a supervisory position;
  • And, current Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certificate.[4]

Appointments

The comptroller is a classified position in the Alaska state government. Appointments to the position are governed by the general rules for all classified positions. These are largely outlined in the Alaska Administrative Code, Title 2, Chapter 7.

Article 5, Section 170:

Selection for appointment
(a) Appointments to positions in the classified service must be made on the basis of merit by selection from persons eligible for appointment without public announcement, or from the available qualified applicants responding to an announcement of a vacancy taking into account the duties that are assigned to the position.
(b) When qualified applicants are ranked under the provisions of 2 AAC 07.106, appointments will normally be made from among the most qualified applicants. If practicable and in the best interest of the state service, vacancies will be filled by promotion.

Additionally, the comptroller is part of the executive branch of Alaska state government, and falls under the general rules for appointments with in that branch. These appointments are done by the governor or, alternatively, the governor may delegate this power to another official. The authority for the governor to appoint the comptroller is derived from Alaska Statute Title 39, Chapter 25, Section 20.

Appointing authorities.
(a) The authority to appoint to positions in the state service is as follows:

[...](2) the governor is the appointing authority for all officers and employees of the executive branch, but the authority to make appointments may be delegated;[...][5]

Vacancies

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the Alaska Comptroller has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Duties

The duties of the comptroller are laid out in the Job Class Specifications as follows:

  • Produce monthly and annual financial statements for all State and Retirement System funds and certify their integrity.
  • Produce quarterly and annual reports on investment activities for the Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Trust Funds.
  • Coordinate accounting and financial reporting requirements and activities with the Portfolio Management and Cash Management Sections of the Treasury Division, the State's custodial bank, mortgage seller-servicers, the Department of Administration, and other State agencies.
  • Represent the Treasury Division at meetings of the Alaska State Pension Investment Board, Public Employees' Retirement System Board and Teachers' Retirement System Board as well as legislative hearings.
  • Prepare the Annual Report for the Alaska State Pension Investment Board.
  • Develop and continually monitor Treasury's annual operating budget; supports the budget at legislative and other hearings; establishes and manages a cost center budget reporting system for the Division which is used for operational decisions.
  • Initiate and administer contractual relationships with the State's custodial bank, the Treasury Division's external audit firm and other professional organizations.
  • Monitor the activities of external money managers and serve as operational liaison between the audit firm and the Treasury staff during audit fieldwork.
  • Develop Treasury's data processing goals, objectives, procedures, and requirements for hardware, software, and training; direct activities of the division's data processing function.
  • Conduct special assignments, studies, or analyses at the request of the Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner, Legislature, pension boards, or Governor. This may result in oral and/or written testimony before various government or non-government audiences. Assist other divisions on evaluation of vendor proposals and related contract awards.
  • Serve as financial and accounting adviser to the Deputy Commissioner.[4]

Divisions

As of January 6, 2021, divisions within the Treasury Division included:[6]

  • Unclaimed Property
  • Investments
  • Cash Management
  • Debt Management

State budget

See also: Alaska state budget and finances

The budget for the Treasury Division, which falls under the State Department of Revenue, in Fiscal Year 2024 was $11,728,500.[7]

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

2022

In 2022, the salary of the comptroller was unavailable, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

2021

In 2021, the comptroller received a salary of $129,129, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

2020

In 2020, the comptroller received a salary of $124,452 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2019

In 2019, the comptroller received a salary of $137,644 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2018

In 2018, the comptroller received a salary of $137,644 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2017

In 2017, the comptroller received a salary of $133,332 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2016

In 2016, the comptroller received a salary of $133,332, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2015

In 2015, the comptroller received a salary of $125,988, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2014

In 2014, the comptroller's salary decreased to $122,710, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2013

In 2013, the comptroller was paid an estimated $126,612, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

Historical officeholders

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Alaska Comptroller 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.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alaska Comptroller. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact

P.O. Box 110405
Anchorage, AK 99501

See also

Alaska State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Alaska State Executive Offices
Alaska State Legislature
Alaska Courts
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Alaska elections: 202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Madison Adkins, "Email communication with Alaska Comptroller Kayla Wisner," January 8, 2021
  2. LinkedIn, "Scott Jones," accessed January 12, 2021
  3. Alaska Statutes, "Title 39, Chapter 25, Section 120," accessed August 14, 2013
  4. 4.0 4.1 Workplace Alaska, "Job Class Specifications, Class Title: State Comptroller," accessed January 6, 2021
  5. Alaska Statutes, "Title 39, Chapter 25, Section 20," accessed January 6, 2021
  6. Alaska Division of Treasury, "Home," accessed January 6, 2021
  7. Alaska.gov, "HB 39," accessed December 7, 2023
  8. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  9. Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  10. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 5, 2021
  11. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 5, 2021
  12. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 5, 2021
  13. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 5, 2021
  14. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  15. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  16. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
  17. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed April 9, 2015