sedona news – The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the City of Sedona and its Department of Financial Services the Outstanding Budget Presentation Award for the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. This is the 12th year the city has received this award.

This award represents a significant achievement for the city. This reflects the commitment of City Council and staff to meet the highest principles of government budgeting. To win the budget award, the city had to meet nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess the extent to which a city’s budget functions as a policy document, financial plan, operational guide, and communication vehicle. To receive this award, a budget document must be rated “proficient” in all four categories and the 14 required criteria within those categories.

Specifically, the city received this award in recognition of special recognition from GFOA for its long-term financial planning, fiscal policy, and capital planning. Special recognition is given if all three reviewers give the highest possible score in a particular category.

“It’s incredibly difficult to get special recognition in even one category,” said Barbara Whitehorn, Director of Financial Services. “It’s unusual for the city to win three!” .

“This award is a testament to our transparency in the communication of budget information. We are very honored to receive this award again from GFOA and are proud to recognize the excellence in budget documentation as we begin planning for fiscal year 2026. We will continue to strive for gender equality,” City Manager Annette Spickard said.

The Budget Awards program has over 1,700 participants. The most recent budget award winners and their corresponding budget documents can be found here: www.gfoa.org. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and have set an excellent example for other governments across North America.

GFOA advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research to more than 22,500 members and their communities.