NEW CASTLE, Del. - County Executive Thomas P. Gordon announced today that New Castle County has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal 2014 Comprehensive Annual Budget Summary from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).
This prestigious award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting that a local government can receive. Of nearly 40,000 units of local government eligible throughout the U. S. and Canada, an average of less than 4% receive this honor each year. This is the 24th consecutive year that New Castle County has merited the award.
“New Castle County is proud of the employees in the Office of Finance who continually produce such impressive documents,” County Executive Gordon said. “Through their talent and dedication, New Castle County has earned a distinction that only a small percentage of the thousands of local governments in North America receive.”
In the selection process, submitted budget documents are reviewed by three independent members of GFOA's Budget Review Panel. To receive the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the budget document has to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation in four categories – as a Policy Document, as a Financial Plan, as an Operations Guide, and as a Communications Device. Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
The GFOA panel members reviewing New Castle County's entry praised the document in their written comments. One GFOA panel member reviewing New Castle County's entry wrote, “I am happy to recommend [New Castle] County for the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. I would like to congratulate your staff on a great document.”
Current and prior year financial documents, including the Comprehensive Annual Budget Summary and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, are available on New Castle County’s website: www.nccde.org/finance.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving 17,800 government finance professionals throughout North America. It is recognized as one of the highest sources of financial reporting guidance for state and local governments in North America. The GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.