​Budget Badge of Honor: 2023 Spending Plan Recognized Nationally

Photo of person sitting in from of computer screen displaying bar charts.

Mecklenburg County's Office of Management and Budget has received top honors for its Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget. The office has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), which works to advance excellence in government finance.

The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award represents a significant achievement for Mecklenburg County. It reflects the commitment of County leadership and staff to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting. This year marks the 33rd straight year that the Office of Management and Budget has received the honor.

To receive the award, Mecklenburg County must 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 in 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

In addition, Mecklenburg County received a Special Performance Measures Recognition for the presentation of performance measures. To receive this recognition, the budget document must have an outstanding rating from all three independent reviewers in the area of providing objective measures of progress toward accomplishing the government's mission, goals, and objectives of specific departments and programs. This recognition is a demonstration of the excellent work by Mecklenburg County's Office of Strategic Planning and Evaluation, and ongoing collaboration and commitment to continuous improvement.

"The award and recognition are a result of the hard work, continued dedication, and leadership of everyone involved," said Adrian Cox, director of the Office of Management and Budget. "Although we have received it many times, many organizations do not. I'm grateful for the outstanding work of our team, and the contributions to the budget document by the Finance Department, Office of Strategic Planning and Evaluation, and staff across the County who are involved in developing our spending plan each year."

The Government Finance Officers Association established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program in 1984 to inspire state and local governments to prepare high-quality budget documents that reflect the guidelines of the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA's best practices on budgeting. The association designates individuals who have experience in public-sector budgeting to review each document that is submitted to the Budget Awards Program.