The city of Salisbury’s budget and performance management department has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the city’s fiscal year 2015-2016 budget.

The association’s Distinguished Presentation Awards program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. Salisbury was one jurisdiction out of 1,491 throughout the U.S. and Canada to receive the award.

The Distinguished Budget Presentation award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, a government entity 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 the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a professional association servicing the needs of 18,300 appointed and elected local, state and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides publications, training programs, services and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington, D.C.