Galveston County has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its budget.

According to a GFOA news release, the award represents a significant achievement by Galveston County.

“It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting,” the news release stated. “In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.”

The guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan and operations guide and a communications device.

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. Chief Financial Officer David Delac was presented with the honor.

For budgets beginning in 2015, approximately 1,550 participants 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 major professional association servicing the needs of approximately 18,700 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management.