The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has presented the El Paso County Financial Services Department with its highest recognition, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The GFOA Excellence in Financial Reporting Program was established in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond minimum requirements of accepted accounting principles in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.
“We really appreciate our accounting team and the work they put into this,” said El Paso County Controller Nikki Simmons. “This award means we have met the GFOA’s criteria for transparent, effective financial statements. It’s a hard award to earn. Our team is amazing and we are super proud of them. They put in a lot of time and do a lot of hard work, working Saturdays throughout the spring to make sure that we have met the highest national standards for financial reporting.”
“It’s a great award for our team,” said County Chief Financial Officer Sherri Cassidy.
This year’s award is for the 2016 budget year. The El Paso County Financial Services Department has received this honor 21 times since 1990. And it is riding a 7-year streak beginning in 2010.
“For El Paso County and for our staff, this is not something that’s out of the ordinary,” Commissioner Peggy Littleton said.” They’re pretty consistent at doing a fantastic job and going above and beyond in being transparent to the citizens, making sure that we spend the dollars that are entrusted to us the way we are supposed to, and ensuring that we stay within our budget.”