Lake County government won the triple crown for its annual budget and financial reports in a survey by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).
Gary Cooney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, was recently notified his office earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award for the 40th consecutive year and the Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award for the 11th consecutive year.
In addition, the County’s Office of Management and Budget received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The receipt of these three awards in the same year constitutes the triple crown in financial reporting.
“Each year, my office and the county’s budget office strive to properly present, in an easily understandable fashion, how Lake County budgets its citizens’ money, and how that money is spent,” Cooney said.
“The receipt of these three awards recognizes the hard work of my Chief Financial Officer, Kristy Mullane, my Director of Accounting, Mary Burns, other members of my staff too numerous to mention, and also the work of Jennifer Barker, County Manager, and Allison Teslia, the County Budget Director, and their staff members.”
According to the GFOA, earning these awards represents a significant achievement by a government entity and its management. The judging for these awards is by an impartial anonymous panel, which determines whether the reports communicate the organization’s financial story, and whether the reports motivate users to read the documents.
