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Bills · 2011-2012 Regular Session

SB 259

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

creating the office of county comptroller for Milwaukee County.

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates the elective office of comptroller in any county with a

population of at least 750,000 (currently only Milwaukee County). The comptroller

is to be chosen every four years in the spring election, beginning in 2012. An

individual must be a licensed or certified public accountant, or must have a master's

degree or doctorate degree in accounting or finance, to hold the office of comptroller.

Many of the duties and responsibilities of a comptroller as created in this bill are

similar to the duties and responsibilities of a city comptroller as specified in current

law.

Under the bill, the comptroller is the chief financial officer of the county, the

administrator of the county's financial affairs, and the person who oversees all of the

county's debt. The comptroller is required to provide the county board and executive

with a fiscal note for all proposed legislation and to report, on a regular basis, on the

condition of the county's funds, and claims that are payable. He or she must also

prepare and distribute an annual certified statement about the receipts and

disbursements from each county fund in the preceding fiscal year. Also on an annual

basis, the comptroller must prepare and distribute to the board and the executive a

five-year financial condition forecast for the county.

At least monthly, the comptroller must examine the county treasurer's

accounts. The comptroller is required to perform all audit functions related to county

government and, upon request, provide the board or executive with a fiscal analysis

on any matter affecting the county. Generally under the bill, the comptroller is

required to countersign all contracts with the county, and no contract is valid until

it is countersigned.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Darling (R) , Taylor (D)

7 cosponsors

Craig (R) , Honadel (R) , Kapenga (R) , Kooyenga (R) , Stone (R) , Zamarripa (D) , Zepnick (D)

Votes

Suspending the rules (to take a vote immediately) needs a two-thirds majority — a higher bar than passing the bill, which needs a simple majority. That's why a suspension motion can show more Ayes than the passage vote that follows it. Glossary

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0

Passed 5–0 Nov 1, 2011 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Rules suspended and taken up, Ayes 82, Noes 11

Passed 82–11 Nov 3, 2011 official source full page

Aye · 82

Not voting · 5

Assembly: Rules suspended to read a third time, Ayes 84, Noes 8

Passed 84–8 Nov 3, 2011 official source full page

Aye · 84

Assembly: Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 79, Noes 11, Paired 4

Passed 79–11 Nov 3, 2011 official source full page

Aye · 79

Not voting · 4

Assembly: Assembly amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 78, Noes 15

Passed 78–15 Nov 3, 2011 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Oct 25, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Darling and Taylor;Cosponsored by Representatives Kooyenga, Zamarripa, Zepnick, Honadel, Stone, Kapenga and Craig

  2. Oct 25, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Elections

  3. Oct 26, 2011 · Senate

    LRB correction

  4. Oct 31, 2011 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Oct 31, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 1 offered by Senators Taylor and Darling

  6. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 3 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  8. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-2-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 4 offered by Senators Taylor and Darling

  11. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 5 offered by Senators Taylor and Darling

  12. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 2 offered by Senators Taylor, Darling and Carpenter

  13. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 3 offered by Senators Darling and Taylor

  14. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  15. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  16. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  17. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  18. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    LRB correction

  19. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Read a second time

  20. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 1 adopted

  21. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 2 adopted

  22. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 3 adopted

  23. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 4 adopted

  24. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 5 adopted

  25. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Rules suspended, Ayes 24, Noes 8

  27. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Read a third time

  28. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Passed, Ayes 22, Noes 10

  29. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Printed engrossed by the direction of the Senate Chief Clerk

  30. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  32. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read

  33. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Rules suspended and taken up, Ayes 82, Noes 11

  34. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  35. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representatives E. Coggs and Young

  36. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 78, Noes 15

  37. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  38. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to read a third time, Ayes 84, Noes 8

  39. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 79, Noes 11, Paired 4

  40. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  41. Nov 4, 2011 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  42. Nov 4, 2011 · Senate

    LRB correction (Senate Amendment 1)

  43. Nov 4, 2011 · Senate

    LRB correction (Senate Amendment 3)

  44. Nov 7, 2011 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 11-7-2011

  45. Nov 8, 2011 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 11-8-2011

  46. Nov 11, 2011 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 11-9-2011. 2011 Wisconsin Act 62

  47. Nov 11, 2011 · Senate

    Published 11-14-2011