For the second year in a row, Humboldt County wins budget presentation award

For the second year in a row, the County of Humboldt today was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the county’s FY 2020-21 budget. The award represents the highest form of achievement in government budgeting for a municipal entity. 

“I couldn’t be more proud for the County of Humboldt for earning this award for a second straight year, and we are honored to be recognized by the GFOA for this work. It shows yet again the dedication of county departments and employees and demonstrates their abilities to work together when there is a common goal,” said County Administrative Officer Amy S. Nilsen. “At the county, we are focused on empowering our residents by increasing their understanding of how taxpayer money is spent. Our departments continue to do an exceptional job of communicating their financial and operational information through our budget document. The 2021-22 proposed budget and budget book going to the Board tomorrow builds on the principles of transparency that we are being recognized for at the highest levels. We hope this work not only helps better inform the Board but also the people of Humboldt County on the work being done by their county government.” 

In order to receive the budget award, the county 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 in the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. 

The county’s budget is available on the county’s website and includes department-by-department details showing their goals and accomplishments along with revenue, expenditures, and staff totals. This prestigious award in a significant achievement by the county and reflects the commitment of the Board of Supervisors and county staff too meeting the highest principles of government budgeting. 

There are over 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program and the most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website.  Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout the country. 

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) is a nonprofit professional association serving more than 20,500 members and the communities they serve.