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Inventory of the State Treasurer Office Records
F3903
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Table of contents
Title: State Treasurer Office Records
Inventory: F3903
Creator:
California. Office of the State Treasurer
Extent: see Series Descriptions
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Language:
English.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], State Treasurer Office Records, F3903, California State Archives.
Article Five of the 1849 California Constitution established the office of State Treasurer. Like the State Controller and
Attorney General, State Treasurer is an administrative office in the executive branch of State government. The Constitution
provided that Treasurers be elected to office, with terms coinciding with that of Governor. Initially two years, terms increased
in 1862 to four years.
The State Treasurer acts as California's official banker (1850 Stats., Ch. 5 & 9). The Treasurer's duties, which include five
principal functions, have changed little since the office was established. They include responsibility for maintaining custody
over all State cash and securities; overseeing investment of State funds; preparing, selling and redeeming State bonds issued;
making payments on Controller's warrants and overseeing the financial operations of local districts and public agencies to
make sure their securities are sound.
During the 1930s, the Treasurer's office was compartmentalized into four accounting subdivisions. Income received was managed
by the Receiving Department while the Warrants Department handled all payments made on State warrants. The Bond Deposit Department
managed the issue, flotation and repayment of bonds, as well as bond purchases made for state agencies or accounts. Bonds
held in trust for State agencies and securities on deposit from banks, insurance or investment companies were handled by the
Vault Department.
In 1950, the Centralized Treasury Trust System was initiated by the State legislature to function as a commercial bank operated
by the Treasurer for the benefit of State agencies. The CTFS expanded the Treasurer's control over all State monies. The Treasurer's
duties were further increased in 1955 with the establishment of the Pooled Money Investment Board, a committee formed to supervise
cash management and short term investment programs (Ch. 297). Since that time, more funds are supervised and more bonds issued
by the California State Treasurer than by any government agency in the U.S. except the Federal government.
The Treasurer's office grew from a staff that included a single clerk in 1849 to seven employees in 1900. By the early 1980's,
over two hundred employees worked in this department, now composed of seven functional subdivisions and an executive office.
The subdivisions include Public Information, the Legal Office, District Securities, Administration, Cash Management, Investments
and Trust Services divisions. The District Securities department reviews and approves fiscal operations of State irrigation
and water districts. Internal operations like personnel, budgeting and data processing are handled through the Administration
division. Cash receipts and payments are supervised by the Cash Management division, while long and short term investment
planning take place in the Investments division. Finally, bond sales and redemption and related activities are supervised
by Trust Services. A division chief heads each of the seven divisions and reports to the Treasurer through the Chief Deputy
State Treasurer.