The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) once again has given the City of Pensacola its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. According to budgets posted on the city’s website, this is the 13th consecutive year the city has received this award, but the streak may be even longer since the website only goes back to FY 2004 Approved Budget.
The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and represents a substantial achievement by the City. The recipients of this award have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America. In order to obtain this award, the City had to satisfy national guidelines for effective budget presentation, including: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. In addition, the City’s budget documents had to be rated “proficient†in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive this award.