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The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is one of the most powerful elected officials in our state government. In Texas, the Comptroller is elected in a statewide election and serves a four year term. The next election for this office will be in 2006.
The Comptroller serves as the state's chief accounting officer and tax collector. The Texas Constitution requires the Comptroller to certify the state budget and to ensure that the budget is balanced. The Comptroller first estimates how much money will be collected based on current and projected revenue for the state. Revenue for the state comes from a number of sources, including taxes, licensing fees, federal monies and land leases.
In order to certify the state budget, the Comptroller reviews all appropriation bills passed in the House and Senate. If the Comptroller determines that there is not enough available revenue to cover the costs outlined in the bill, then the bill cannot be enacted unless a four-fifths majority of both the House and Senate approve it. Once the appropriation bill is passed by the legislature, the Comptroller reviews the budget to verify that state spending is kept within the limits of anticipated state revenue. This process of checks and balances helps to keep state government from over-spending.
The Comptroller also performs a number of other duties, including:
$ Conducting performance reviews of state agency programs, such as the review of the foster care system run by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services;
$ Handling franchise taxes, tax abatements, sales tax and other business tax issues;
$ Issuing a release each year of the names of people with unclaimed property;
$ Auditing school districts, colleges, and universities and issuing school performance reviews.
The current Comptroller of Public Accounts is Carole Keeton Strayhorn. She was elected as Texas' first woman State Comptroller in 1998 and is currently serving her second term. Prior to her current service, Strayhorn served as Railroad Commissioner and Mayor of Austin. For more information on our Comptroller and her office, please visit www.window.state.tx.us.
Please feel free to contact me if I may be of assistance regarding any matter of state government. You can contact me by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by e-mailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.
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