Worcester County Honored For Excellence In Financial Reporting

Worcester County Government (WCG) was recently honored with an award and a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the sixth consecutive year by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada. The GFOA recognizes contributions to the practice of government finance that exemplify outstanding financial management, and WCG was honored with this recent recognition for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

“The CAFR is an extremely important document for Worcester County,” Finance Officer Phil Thompson said. “It provides both transparency and accountability, which are critical in the constantly changing economy that we operate in today. I sincerely thank each and every member of staff who worked so diligently to produce the CAFR and help the County earn this prestigious honor once again. This award is a testament to their dedication and professionalism.”

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition awarded to local governments in the areas of accounting and financial reporting. The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

To be awarded the Certificate of Achievement, a governmental unit must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized CAFR, and its contents must conform to program standards. Such reports should satisfy Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and applicable legal requirements.

WCG was a recipient for this prestigious award with Chief Administrative Officer Harold Higgins, Finance Officer Phil Thompson, Budget Officer Kathy Whited, Assistant Finance Officer Jennifer Swanton, Enterprise Fund Controller Jessica Ramsay and Budget Accountant Kim Watts accepting the certificate on behalf of the county.