The County of Humboldt today was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the county’s FY 2019-20 budget. The award represents the highest form of recognition in government budgeting for a municipal entity. It is the first time ever the County of Humboldt has earned this prestigious award.
The award is a significant achievement by the county as it reflects the commitment of the Board of Supervisors and county staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
“Our annual budget is more than a series of tables and charts detailing how much money the county receives and spends. It is meant to show people living in Humboldt County the Board’s priorities, as determined by members of our community, and how the county is meeting those priorities,” said County Administrative Officer Amy S. Nilsen. “I am proud of the hard work and dedication our community and staff across the county showed in putting together the FY 2019-20 budget. It is a great honor to receive this award, and we remain committed to the highest standards for the Board and the people of Humboldt County.”
The county’s budget is available on the county’s website. It includes a reader-friendly overview (Section A), as well as department-by-department details showing their goals and accomplishments, as well as revenue, expenditures and staffing. The county also maintains an interactive budget application, called Open Budget, that the public can use to see details on the county’s spending, including Measure Z expenditures.
In order to receive the budget award, the county had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective an budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:
- A policy document;
- A financial plan;
- An operations guide; and
- A communications device.
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
There are more than 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program, and fewer than 400 have been recognized with this achievement to date. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on the GFOA’s website. These award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide and excellent example for other governments across the country.
The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving more than 19,000 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.