State Comptroller Tera Klutz to step down with three years left in her term

Eric Learned

State Comptroller Tera Klutz announced Thursday that she would be retiring from her position on Dec. 1 after 20 years in public service. She has more than three years left in her term.

Klutz was appointed as the 57th auditor of the state by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2017, becoming the first certified public accountant to serve as the state’s chief financial officer.

She was elected to the position in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Her title was changed to state comptroller on July 1 by state statute.

“The past 20 years of leading and serving the financial offices of state and local government have been challenging, rewarding and the opportunity of a lifetime,” Klutz said about her career in public service. “In 2002, I left public accounting to join the Allen County Auditor’s office because I was looking for more flexibility for my young family. What I found was my dream job. My career in government started as the state was dramatically changing the way property was assessed and taxed resulting in tax bill delays in all 92 counties. While working through those early challenges, I learned I had a passion for solving problems and helping people, which ultimately led me to run for office at the local and then state levels.”

Klutz is credited with implementing a more efficient way to pay the state’s bills, cutting the time it took in half, modernizing the state’s payroll system and overhauling the Indiana Transparency Portal to include easier access to government finance information.

“I’m grateful for Tera’s service and partnership as Indiana’s state auditor, now state comptroller, since I appointed her in 2017,” Holcomb said in written remarks. “As the first CPA to serve in the position, Tera has been a faithful fiscal steward with a keen focus on transparency and accountability, most notably by modernizing technology. Throughout her tenure, Indiana has been recognized nationally for its responsible financial reporting. I wish her the absolute best in this next chapter.”

Klutz said she plans to return to work outside of government.

“I am excited about my next chapter—spending more time with family and friends, and returning to a career in the private sector,”  she said. “I have committed to helping the governor, if so desired, to find a qualified individual to serve as Indiana’s next state comptroller and assist in a smooth transition of responsibilities.”

Klutz is the fourth straight auditor to leave the position early. She was appointed to her position after then-Auditor Suzanne Crouch was elevated to Lieutenant Governor. Before Crouch, Dwayne Sawyer lasted only four months in the job before he abruptly quit. And Tim Berry served almost two terms before leaving to chair the Indiana Republican Party.