I still see this archaic spelling used. Is it just for snob appeal?

No. In many cases, primarily in government, it is the legal, and hence only proper, name.

I've given up on telling people that controller and comptroller are pronounced in exactly the same way.

Is it just for snob appeal?

English orthography and punctuation are entirely premised on snob appeal, Asa. For what it's worth, of the four or so online dictionaries I checked, it seems the spelling-pronunciation of comptroller is gaining acceptance in US English (COED, MW, A-H, and CDAE :- link). When a language is saddled with a ridiculous and intentionally irrational orthographic "system", as is English, this sort of thing becomes more and more likely, e.g., pronouncing the t in often. The only reasons I can hazard for this chaotic state is nostalgic whimsy and petty malice.

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I've given up on telling people that controller and comptroller are pronounced in exactly the same way.

I learn something new every day, Valentine. I always used to pronounce it as "comp-troller." I won't anymore.

I had always wondered why some places use "comptroller," while others use "controller."

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I had always wondered why some places use "comptroller," while others use "controller."

Either snobbery or a con game.

Reviving a thread...

The word Comptroller has been in the news in New York, and Jesse Sheidlower says there are "not ifs, ands, or "mp"s - it's pronounced "controller." He also says:

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Comptroller, as a professional role with a unique title, dates back to the 15th century, when Sheidlower says the word was spelled “in a variety of different ways but without ‘mp.’”

“The first element of this word was originally the same as ‘contra,’ meaning ‘against,’” says Sheidlower. “What this word originally meant was a duplicate copy of a roll of accounts used for auditing purposes. A comptroller was the person who used duplicate rolls to check the accounts.”