About the Auditor
Ben J. Benoit
Riverside County Auditor-Controller
Ben J. Benoit is a lifelong resident of California. After Growing up in the Coachella Valley, Ben J. Benoit moved to the previously Unincorporated area of Wildomar in Southwest Riverside County in 2006. A small business owner, Ben joined the Wildomar Chamber and Rotary club.
Ben served as a Planning Commission before he was elected to the City Council in 2010. In 2012, Ben was unanimously elected by the Riverside County Mayors to represent all the Cities of Riverside County at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. During his three terms on City Council, Ben made it a priority to serve on financial committees and audit committees. Ben recognizes the importance of ensuring the financial health and accountability of taxpayer-supported entities.
As a former Mayor, Ben has experience balancing budgets and protecting taxpayer dollars. Ben was responsible for approving city and regional bodies’ auditing contracts and reviewing auditing reports. He’s also a former business owner who understands how difficult the business climate can be in California.
Ben was elected to serve as Riverside County’s Auditor-Controller in 2022. He is a strong advocate for residents, taxpayers, and businesses. Ben is committed to leading the Auditor-Controller’s office with integrity and ensuring the department provides exceptional customer service.
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Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) of the Auditor-Controller's Office consists of the County Auditor-Controller, Assistant Auditor-Controller, Government Relations Officer, and four Division Deputies. The Executive Leadership Team plans and directs the strategic vision of the organization.
Governing Authority
Established under Government Code Sections 24000 et seq. and Government Code 26900 et seq. The Auditor-Controller is an Elected Official with a 4-year term. Subsequent to Government Code Section 26880 et seq. and Board of Supervisors Resolutions dated April 15, 1957 and June 17, 1957, the Auditor Controller's primary duty and responsibility is as chief accounting and disbursing officer of the County.
Mission Statement
Our mission at the Riverside County Auditor Controller’s Office is to be a steadfast guardian of financial integrity and transparency of our county. We are dedicated to providing expert fiscal guidance, meticulous oversight, and the proficient execution of statutory duties, while upholding the values of excellence, integrity, and innovation.
Vision Statement
Our vision is to be the cornerstone of Riverside County's financial excellence, leveraging our unwavering commitment to transparent accountability and precision to empower informed decision-making and lasting prosperity within our vibrant county. We are committed to fostering employee growth and advancement through steadfast dedication, collaboration, integrity, and innovation. We aspire to set the gold standard in financial administration, elevating Riverside County as a model of effective governance and responsible fiscal stewardship.
About the Auditor-Controller's Office
Auditor-Controller Responsibilities
The Riverside County Auditor-Controller is an independent, nonpartisan elected office established to provide accounting, audit, payroll, and property tax administration services to County government, cities, K-14 schools and special districts. The Auditor-Controller is the chief accounting and disbursement officer of the County. Riverside County is the fourth largest county in California and the eleventh largest in the United States.
The responsibilities of the Auditor-Controller are generally defined in the California Government Code. More specifically, the Auditor-Controller is responsible for budget control, issuing warrants (checks) for payments, recording receipts of revenues, payroll, accounting for assets and liabilities, accounts receivable/payable, long-term debt, and preparation of the County's financial statements. The key divisions include General Accounting, Payroll, Audits and Specialized Accounting, and Property Tax.
In auditing, the Auditor-Controller’s Office performs biennial audits of all departments within the County jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors, and per CA Government Code 25250. The Auditor-Controller is responsible for ensuring that mandatory audits are performed by internal staff or contracted certified public accountants. Examples of mandatory audits include Special Districts, Treasury, Fire, Probation, Social Services, Tax Collector, and Sheriff, to name a few.
The Auditor-Controller is also responsible for property tax administration. Specific duties include controlling the tax roll, calculating the tax and general obligation bond rates, accounting for property tax receipts, allocating property tax revenues to all taxing agencies, and reconciling with the tax collector. The Property Tax Division apportions (distributes) more than $3 Billion annually to approximately 350 participants, including cities, K-14 schools and special districts.
In Payroll, responsibilities include issuing 18,000 pay checks every other week grossing $50 million or $1.3 billion annually. This amount includes nearly $2 million in State taxes, $10 million in Federal taxes, and $6 million in CalPERS (pension plan) bi-weekly.
In the General Accounting, more than 500,000 payments are issued annually. All of these payments are reviewed before they are approved. Other key responsibilities in the General Accounting Division are cash management, budgetary control, vendor validation, year-end reporting, and the annual financial report involving extensive analyses and roll up of countywide financial transactions. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is validated by an outside independent CPA firm.
Press Releases
Riverside County Auditor-Controller’s Internal Audit Division is Now Fully Staffed
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(Riverside, CA) – The Auditor-Controller’s Internal Audit Division is now operating at full capacity. Ben J. Benoit, Riverside County Auditor-Controller, announced his office has successfully hired 10 new employees, effectively filling all previously vacant positions within the division. A grand jury report released in 2022 found that former Auditor-Controller failed to fill the positions for a decade to an effective level that would help instill confidence with risk management and independent evaluation of county departments consistency with operational expectations. Upon entering the office of Auditor-Controller in 2023, Benoit pledged to fully staff the Auditor-Controller’s Office and address the concerns raised in the Grand Jury report.
“I’m proud to announce that the Internal Audit Division is now fully staffed with a dedicated team of certified professionals, including individuals with Certified Public Accountants (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) credentials,” said Benoit. “A fully staffed Audit team will help reduce the County’s risk exposure and allow us to provide comprehensive oversight and strategic planning. “I’m particularly proud to highlight that several members of our division have already achieved their CIA certifications, with others actively pursuing both CIA and CISA certifications. This commitment to professional development not only strengthens our internal capabilities but also reinforces the County’s broader risk management framework, ensuring we maintain the highest standards of accountability and excellence. I want to thank the County’s executive office for helping us reach this milestone by allocating funding to hire talented, certified, and experienced employees.”
“Filling vacancies in the Internal Audit Division provides additional capacity to expand audit areas both in scope and in depth,” said Rene Casillas, Deputy Auditor-Controller, Internal Audit Division. “This expansion has enabled us to broaden our services and undertake more comprehensive assessments, such as the county-wide risk assessment, which demands more time and resources. It also helps ensure there is compliance within County operations at all levels, promotes good risk management, improves efficiency of public services, and helps build confidence in County government.”
The Internal Audit Division’s objective is to help instill confidence in the risk management processes by independently and objectively evaluating the internal controls designed and put in place by management to help with overall governance. The Audit Division is focused on adding value and improving the departments’ operations by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management and control.
To view the Grand Jury report, please click here.
Contact: Jeremy Smith