City Honored with GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, October 2024

NORMAN - For the 34th consecutive year, the City of Norman has been honored by the Chicago-based Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget, FYE 25. The City was notified of the award on October 18, 2024.

The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Norman and reflects a true commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation had to be satisfied. 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

"There are only 9 entities that have received the award in this state, including Norman. We've received the award 34 times now," said Kim Coffman, budget manager for the City of Norman.

Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in 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 having achieved the award. This has been presented to City of Norman Finance Department.

"This budget is important to us, because it demonstrates our commitment to transparency in the City of Norman," Coffman said." It's all about how well you communicate with your stakeholders. Our stakeholders are the public."

There are more than 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. 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 North America, according to GFOA.

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for the more than 22,500 members and the communities they serve.

• Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
• Certificate of Recognition