The City of St. Helens has received a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 budget.
St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh gave more information about the criteria and how the city was considered for the award.
“We submitted our budget document to the award program. States, cities, counties, special districts, school districts, and other qualifying agencies must apply to the award program for consideration,” Walsh said.
In order to receive the budget award, the City of St. Helens was required to satisfy nationally-recognized guidelines for an effective budget presentation. It is important to note that the award does not take into account the city’s financial standing. Walsh said a government agency’s “financial health” is evaluated separately through tools such as the annual audit.
The guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and 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. This is the eleventh year that the City of St. Helens has received this award.
Hearing from St. Helens’ finance director
“The criteria changed for fiscal year 23/24, requiring additional information to meet the Government Finance Officers’ high standards for financial management and reporting,” City of St. Helens Finance Director Gloria Butsch said in a news release. “The criteria for the budget award are designed so that the budget document achieves a high standard of transparency and communication regarding the use and management of public money.”
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. For the City of St. Helens, this award has been presented to the City’s Finance Department.
“St. Helens Accountant II Jamie Edwards and Accountant III Jennifer Johnson were instrumental in achieving this award,” Butsch noted. “The budget was developed during a transition from an interim finance director to me, which was a challenge in itself. Jenn and Jamie are exceptional and essential staff in achieving this award.”
There are over 1,700 participants in GFOA’s Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website, www.gfoa.org. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
Government Finance Officers Association advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 22,500 members and the communities they serve.
Upcoming budget discussions
The City of St. Helens has been facing budget challenges, especially since Cascades Tissue ceased operations at its St. Helens facility. In December, the city appointed Lew Mason, Ivan Salas, Jennifer Gilbert, Jennifer Massey, and Steve Toschi to its budget committee.
Walsh said he and the Finance Division have been working closely with department heads to create a proposed budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year. The budget committee has had two orientation workshops in preparation for its first meeting on April 25, 2024. Walsh said the St. Helens Budget Committee will begin reviewing the proposed budget next week.
Walsh emphasized that the city must continue providing “quality, effective services” to the St. Helens community within a sound “economic framework.”
“It has been a challenging few years financially, with inflation, the loss of Cascades Tissue, and post-pandemic disruptions continuing to impact the economy,” Walsh said. “This means developing a balanced budget that preserves the highest possible quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0