For 30 years in a row, the City of Knoxville’s Finance Department has been honored for pioneering efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and providing an excellent example for other North American governments.
The City Finance Department has again been recognized by a leading professional association for its commitment to meeting “the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the City’s Finance Department a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.
Good municipal budgeting, wise use of tax dollars and transparency have long been the mainstays of Knoxville City budgeting.
The award is being presented to Finance Director Jim York, who gives great credit to his staff’s professionalism and transparency.
“This award reflects the work of a lot of people – many who have been doing it a long time. They’re committed to promoting openness in preparing and explaining a budget of more than $400 million,” said York.
“Our budget communicates the priorities and policies of our City in an understandable fashion. It shows what Knoxville is really doing.”
To receive the GFOA distinction, the City of Knoxville satisfied nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a means of communications.
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, plus the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.