The City of Knoxville has again been recognized by its North American peers for leadership in effective budget presentation. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the City’s Finance Department a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 31st year in a row.

The award “reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting,” according to GFOA.

To receive the recognition, Knoxville satisfied established guidelines that are designed to assess how well a budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and as a means of communications.

The GFOA award is being presented to Interim Chief Financial Officer Boyce Evans, who credits his staff’s professionalism and commitment to transparency.

“This string of awards reflects the good work of a lot of people,” Evans said. “The City is committed to openness in how we prepare and manage a budget of more than $400 million. We aim to be honest in communicating our priorities. That was evident at last week’s Budget Retreat.

“Clearly presented budget documents promote good public dialogue and good decision-making, and the people in the Finance Department are proud of our role in making that happen year after year.”