The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
The award reflects the continued commitment from the City’s Finance Department to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. This acknowledgement also marks the 12th time in which the city has received this award.
Mayor Sarno states, “This is such a tremendous accomplishment – 12 years where the city’s Finance Department has been recognized for its governmental accounting and financial reporting. I want to congratulate CAFO TJ Plante and the entire finance team, especially Comptroller Patrick Burns and his team at the Comptroller’s Office, for their hard work and dedication on this achievement. My administration’s is committed to continuing our strong financial model of fiscal excellence, transparency and accountability – especially during these challenging and surreal times as we try to navigate and balance our budgets as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty. Since taking office, my administration has been committed to establishing a long-standing resiliency plan by maintaining core services, personnel, and continued investment in our city’s future, while being mindful of the current economic climate. Thanks to these measures, my administration has never had to lay anyone off and we have weathered numerous man-made and natural disasters – the 2011 tornado, freak nor’easter snow storms, gas explosion, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic recessions. We will continue to be prudent and with compassion while managing our city’s finances as we move forward during these uncertain times. Again, to CAFO TJ Plante, Comptroller Pat Burns, and our entire finance team, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!”
CAFO Plante stated, “I want to thank my dedicated Finance team, especially Pat Burns our Comptroller. Thanks in large part to the efforts from him and his team, the city continues to strive for financial excellence, even during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the volatility of the economic markets, and this award validates the tremendous work that our city’s finance team is doing.”
Comptroller Pat Burns said, “I would like to thank the staff of the Comptroller’s Office for their continued dedication to their craft and commitment to the City of Springfield, Joanne Raleigh, Antoinette Basile, Beth Gokey, Sharolyn Vickers, Katie Vegh and Diane Jendrysik.”
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) is a major professional association serving the needs of nearly 20,000 appointed and elected local, state and provincial-level government officials and other financial practitioners in North America. The association is headquartered in Chicago, IL, with offices in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: http://www.gfoa.org/.