Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:28 a.m.
The national Government Finance Officers Association has awarded the City of Spokane its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2023 budget.
The award evaluates a jurisdiction’s strategic goals and strategies, priorities and issues, overall budget, organizational chart, fund descriptions and structure, financial policies, budget process, three years of financial schedules, fund balance, revenues, long-range operating financial plans, capital program, debt, position schedule, departmental and program schedules, goals, and objectives, and performance measures. Submissions are reviewed by a pool of more than 400 budget professionals from across the country.
“We introduced a priority-based budget approach three years ago and our team of dedicated budget professionals implemented the program with award-winning impressiveness,” Woodward said. “This national award recognizes our team for delivering on our first obligation to produce a budget that meets the needs of the taxpayers of Spokane.”
Woodward submitted a preliminary proposed 2023 budget in October and a final budget in November based on community engagement throughout the year. The City Council held hearing in November to gain additional public input and approved the budget in December.
The award program serves the dual purpose of honoring governments for their work and offering feedback on its budgeting process based on the collective experience of its more than 20,000 members. The City achieved proficient rating in each of the following categories and the 14 criteria within them as a measurement of how well the budget serves as:
“We submitted our application materials with the intent of accessing the collective experience of budget officers nationwide and are honored to be recognized by our peers,” said Tonya Wallace, the City’s chief financial officer.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), founded in 1906, represents public official in the U.S. and Canada. The professional organization’s mission is to advance excellence in public finance.
