For the 17th consecutive year, the Knox County Finance Department has earned the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY 2012-2013 budget.

The GFOA award represents a significant achievement by Knox County and the finance department, and it reflects a commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental accounting.

“The Knox County Finance Department team is very professional and does a great job for Knox County,” said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. “Chris Caldwell and his staff work very hard on the County’s budget each year and are deserving of this award.”

“I want to thank my finance team for their dedication and tireless commitment to Knox County,” said Finance Director Chris Caldwell. “In the coming year, I look forward to working with my staff on the next budget, and I know they will continue to show the level of professionalism that our citizens deserve and expect.”

In order to qualify for the award, the Knox County Finance Department had to satisfy national guidelines designed to assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device.

The finance department spends approximately six months each year working with Mayor Burchett, department heads and other elected officials to develop the Knox County budget.