Mayor Pete Buttigieg praised City of South Bend finance staff Thursday after learning that the administration has received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The honor recognizes South Bend for its Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. South Bend is the only city in the state which received an award for the PAFR.
“This award recognizes the City’s commitment to transparency, delivered through plain-English financial reporting,” said Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “Our government works best when residents have access to clear information on how their tax dollars return to the community.”
This is the second time South Bend has received the award. In addition to the PAFR, South Bend also received its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (CAFR) as well as the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. South Bend was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users to read the CAFR.
“We are honored to receive the award for the CAFR for the twenty-seventh consecutive year as well as the second consecutive year for the PAFR from GFOA,” South Bend City Controller Jennifer Hockenhull said. “The City Administration, as well as the Administration & Finance team, continues to offer our residents timely and relevant information to ensure transparency with regards to City finances.”
The GFOA established the Popular Annual Financial Reporting Awards Program in 1991 to reward state and local governments who produce annual financial reports designed to be readily accessible and understandable to the general public. For more information about the Government Finance Officers Association, visit http://www.gfoa.org.
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