ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced that Howard County earned an outstanding Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada. The Budget Office earned the honor for the FY 2023 budget document in recognition of its high standards, comprehensiveness and transparency.
I am privileged and fortunate to work with a team of the finest financial professionals in our Budget Office. I depend on them for responsible and prudent advice to make the best decisions about how we spend our resident’s tax dollars. I thank everyone in our outstanding Budget Office for overseeing a budget process that is inclusive and thoughtful.
Our long history of excellence in all aspects of budgeting and financial accounting speaks to a culture of quality. There is transparency and accountability in everything we do.
To receive the annual award, the GFOA must deem the presentation “proficient” in four main areas - as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.
“The budget team takes its responsibility to our residents very seriously,” said Holly Sun, Budget Office Administrator. “We strive to make responsible decisions with taxpayer money, help our agencies and departments make prudent spending choices within those areas, and engage the public in the process.”
The Budget Office proposes spending levels to the County Executive based on prudent revenue and expense projections to ensure a balanced and sustainable budget. The staff also prepare special management and financial reports and monitor the purchasing, personnel, and other spending requests of all county government agencies.
GFOA represents more than 22,500 members as the premier association of public sector finance professionals providing support to state and local governments. Howard County is among 1,700 nationwide participants in this award program and has maintained this recognition for nearly 30 years. Learn more about this award program here.