Sedona News – The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the city of Sedona and its Financial Services Department the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget. This is the twelfth year the city has received this award.
The award represents a significant achievement by the city. It reflects the commitment of the city council and staff to meeting the highest principles 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 the city’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 fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
More specifically, the city received this award with special recognition from the GFOA for its long-range financial plans, financial policies and capital program. Special recognition is given when all three reviewers give the highest possible score in particular categories.
“The special recognition is incredibly hard to achieve in even one category. For the city to get it in three is exceptional!” said Director of Financial Services Barbara Whitehorn.
“This award is a testament to our transparency in communicating budget information. We are so honored to receive this award once again from GFOA and will continue to strive for excellence in our budget documents as we begin planning for fiscal year 2026,” said City Manager Anette Spickard.
There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted at 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.
The GFOA 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.