City recognized nationally for Budget

For the seventh year in a row, the City of Broken Arrow has received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget.

"This award demonstrates the standard to which we approach the budget every year," City Manager Michael Spurgeon said. "We take our finances and the stability of the city's budget very seriously, and we make a tremendous effort, not just in how we prepare the budget, but in how we manage throughout the year."

Broken Arrow's municipal government and services are funded through a budget prepared by the City Manager and the Finance Department, in collaboration with various departments and divisions. The proposed budget is presented to the City Council during a special meeting in May each year for their consideration and input. A public hearing on the proposed budget is held during the City Council's first regular meeting in June, and the budget is adopted at the Council's second regular meeting in June. Each fiscal year budget is in effect from July 1 to June 30.

After the City Council adopts the budget, Director of Finance Cynthia Arnold forwards the 300-page document in its entirety to the Government Finance Officers Association within 90 days of its adoption. A three-judge panel subsequently reviews the city's budget and provides analysis and a critique of each detail.

According to Arnold, the benefits of receiving the award include:

• Enhanced credibility
• A recognition of excellence
• Enhanced public trust
• The critique fosters continuous improvement

The Government Finance Officers Association program was established in 1984 and has recognized more than 1,900 governments. The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Broken Arrow. It reflects the city's commitment to meeting the highest standards of government budgeting practices. To receive this budget award, the City was required to meet the 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. There are more than 1,900 participants in the Budget Awards Program. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve budgeting quality and serve as excellent examples for other governments throughout North America.

The City of Broken Arrow Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, as well as previous budgets and audit reports, are available on the city's website under the Finance Department page.