Memo - Public Presentation of the GFOA Distinguished Budget AwardCITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 7, 2010
To: Mayor &City Council
From: Christine Harkess, Finance Director
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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 2010 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 9th year the city has received this award.
The press release is also attached for your review.
Government Finance Officers Association
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700
Chicago, Illinois 60601-1210
312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806
July 27, 2010
Mr. Rick Getschow
City Manager
City of Hopkins
1010 First Street, South
Hopkins, MN 55343
Dear Mr. Getschow:
I am pleased to notify you that City of Hopkins, Minnesota has received the Distinguished
Budget Presentation Award for the current budget from the Government Finance Officers
Association (GFOA). This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting
and represents a significant achievement by your organization.
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 M. Harkess, Finance Director
We hope you will arrange for a formal public presentation of the award, and that
appropriate publicity will be given to this notable achievement. A press release is
enclosed for your use.
We appreciate your participation in GFOA's Budget Awards Program. Through your
example, we hope that other entities will be encouraged to achieve excellence in
budgeting.
Sincerely,
1 - _
Stephen J. Gauthier, Director
Technical Services Center
Enclosure
Washington, DC Office
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 309 • Washington, DC 20004 • 202.393.8020 • fax: 202.393.0780
www.gfoa.org
Government Finance Officers Association
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700
Chicago, Illinois 60601-1210
312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806
July 27, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
For Further Information Contact
Stephen J. Gauthier (312) 977-9700
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 M.
Harkess, Finance Director.
For budgets including fiscal period 2009, 1,214 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