SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — It’s more than dollars and cents for the Island’s finance department.
This is the eighth consecutive year the Island has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its fiscal year budget.
The Government Finance Officers Association, a nonprofit professional association serving finance professionals throughout North America, recently awarded them the distinction.
According to city officials, the award reflects council members and staff’s commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
Budget presentation guidelines
To receive the award, an entity’s budget must be rated “proficient” in four categories including a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.
Additionally, budgets need to be rated “proficient” in 14 mandatory criteria within those categories.
Being primarily responsible for receiving the award, the Island’s Finance Department received a Certificate of Recognition for its budget presentation.
Finance department
“I feel proud the city is achieving the highest level of budgeting and transparency in government,” said Rodrigo Gimenez, South Padre Island’s Chief Financial Officer and Interim Assistant City Manager. “From the leadership perspective, I am extremely satisfied with the development and execution of the budget process during the past years, which demonstrates every department’s commitment to achieving excellence.”
Gimenez said he is fortunate to work with a team committed to delivering excellence and professionalism.
“Thanks to their hard work over the years, the City has achieved numerous awards in financial reporting and presentation,” he said. “We are always looking for ways to improve our operations and this is reflected in the numerous financial awards received in past years.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
• The City of South Padre Island recently received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year Budget.
• The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving nearly 19,000 government finance professionals throughout North America.
• The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.
