For the 11th consecutive year, the City of Gulf Shores is pleased to announce that the Finance and Administration Department has once again received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2021 city budget.

The award represents a significant achievement as it reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City of Gulf Shores had to satisfy 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.

“It’s not an accident that our City has an AA+ bond rating, it’s not an accident that we have seen an increase of over 300% in our cash reserves since 2010, and it’s not an accident that as a City we continue to make responsible and effective budget decisions. It’s a direct result from the hard work of our Finance & Administration Department and the other City Departments who diligently manage the budget on a daily basis, and we couldn’t be more appreciative,” said Mayor Robert Craft.

There are more than 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program and recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments and agencies throughout North America.

For more information about the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, visit www.gfoa.org/budget-award.

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