Memo - Public Presentation of the GFOA Distinguished Budget AwardCITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 25, 2009
To: Mayor & City Council
From: Christine Harkess, Finance Director
Subject: Public Presentation of the GFOA Distinguished Budget Award
The Finance Director will present the "Distinguished Budget Award" to the Mayor and City
Council. The award is made by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United
States and Canada (GFOA). The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award recognizes the
City's 2009 Budget Document for conformance with strict program criteria.
This award represents a significant achievement by the city. It reflects the commitment of the
governing body and staff to meeting the highest principals of governmental budgeting. In order
to receive the budget award, the city had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective
budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves
as a policy documents, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.
The City of Hopkins received their first Budget award in 2002 and has received it each year
since. This is the 8 year the city has received this award.
The press release is also attached for your review.
G13
Government Finance Officers Association
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700
Chicago, Illinois 60601 -1210
312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806
June 16, 2009
PRESS RELEASE
For Further Information Contact
Stephen J. Gauthier (312) 977 -9700
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Chicago - -The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
is pleased to announce that City of Hopkins, Minnesota has received the GFOA's Distinguished
Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the
governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to
receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective
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
• 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.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition
for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being
primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. This has been presented to Christine
Harkess, Finance Director.
For budgets including fiscal period 2007, 1,166 entities received the Award. Award recipients have
pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other
governments throughout North America.
The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving over
17,600 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA's Distinguished
Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental
budgeting.
Washington, DC Office
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 309 • Washington, DC 20004 • 202.393.8020 • fax: 202.393.0780
www.gfoa.org