Pennsylvania Auditor General

The Pennsylvania auditor general is the chief fiscal officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This important role helps watch over the state's money and make sure it is spent properly. The office became an elected position in 1850, meaning people in Pennsylvania get to choose who holds this job.

Today, the auditor general is Timothy DeFoor, a member of the Republican Party. His job is to check on how state money is used and to report back to the public, making sure everything is done fairly and correctly. This helps keep the state running smoothly and trustworthy.

History

The job of Auditor General was started in 1809 by the General Assembly to watch over public money. Before this, there were two other jobs handling money: the Comptroller General and the Register General.

The Comptroller General started in 1782 to check the state’s money after the American Revolution. Then in 1789, the Register General was added to help oversee things. In 1809, these two jobs were ended, and all their work went to the new Auditor General.

At first, the auditor general was chosen by the Governor, but in 1850, people started voting for this job. The term was three years until 1909, when it was changed to four years.

Responsibilities

The auditor general checks how state agencies, city governments, schools, and other groups that get money from the state spend their funds. These checks make sure public money is used the right way. The auditor general also looks at how well certain places, like homes for veterans, prisons, and mental health centers, work and spend their money.

List of auditors general