Delaware County Controller

State of the Controller's Office - Statistics for 2022

Message from Delaware County Controller Joanne Phillips

As your elected Controller, I am committed to transparency and implementing the best practices and safeguards to protect County tax dollars during my term in office. I will use all resources available to my office to carry out that promise to Delaware County residents. During my tenure, we have transformed the office to expertly address the issues facing the County, made information available, saved taxpayers money, and increased the professionalism of the office.

Along with my staff, we implemented a Waste, Fraud and Abuse Hotline, and we have made the County’s audits and financial reports accessible to the public. We have continued the tradition of receiving the Government Finance Officers Association’s Excellence in Financial Reporting award annually for our reports.

My staff and I take our role seriously and we are committed to ensuring that taxpayers of Delaware County receive the services they pay for in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Mission Statement of the Controller's office

The Controller, Joanne Phillips, Esquire, is responsible for overseeing and controlling the expenditure of County Funds, and has the powers and duties granted by the Commonwealth laws applicable to Controller's in counties for the 2nd Class A Controllers, the Home Rule Charter, and by ordinance of County Council.

The Controller’s office has a critical role in serving as the County’s fiscal watchdog. The office is committed to protecting the taxpayers of Delaware County and is responsible for overseeing the County’s payroll, internal audits, retirement, accounts payable, and the accounting system for the County.

The Office of the Controller is headed by an independently elected Controller who is responsible to the electorate of Delaware County for the performance of her duties. The Controller shall appoint at least one Deputy Controller trained or experienced in the field of accounting and such other staff, including a solicitor, as may be required to assist her in the discharge of her duties, subject to budgetary approval of County Council. The Controller’s First Deputy is Jeffrey J. Powers, C.P.A., J.D., and the Solicitor for the Controller's office is Winifred M. Branton, Esq.

Controller's Bio

Joanne Phillips was elected to serve as Delaware County Controller in November 2017 and began her four-year term in January 2018. She was reelected to serve a second four-year term in November 2021.

Ms. Phillips is an experienced attorney practicing in the national law firm Ballard Spahr LLP, where she has represented business clients, cultural institutions, hospitals and universities in real estate development and real estate finance. Ms. Phillips also served in government as the Director of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Real Estate, in the Department of General Services, where she oversaw a multi-million dollar portfolio of leased facilities and real property.

Ms. Phillips graduated Summa Cum Laude from Widener University's Delaware Law School, where she was the valedictorian of her class and an editor of the law review. She received her B.A. from Ursinus College, and was a member of the school's nationally-ranked field hockey team.

A leader in professional organizations throughout her career, highlights include serving as Chair of the Real Property Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and Chair of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate (“CRE”). Ms. Phillips currently serves as the CRE’S national Discussion Leader for the Legal and Insurance Specialty Group, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute. Ms. Phillips is a member of the American, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Delaware County Bar Associations.

As Controller, Ms. Phillips serves as the Secretary of the Delaware County Retirement Board, and a member of the County’s Jail Oversight Board. In 2020 she was appointed to the Board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority.

Ms. Phillips served on the Middletown Township Park and Recreation Committee and was a director of the Rose Tree Soccer Club. She is a licensed soccer coach and coached boys' and girls' intramural and travel teams for more than 15 years.

Ms. Phillips and her husband have lived in Middletown Township for more than thirty years, where they raised two children who attended schools in the Rose Tree Media School District.