SIDNEY — The city of Sidney has once again earned two prestigious awards for excellent work within the city’s finance department.
During council’s workshop session on Tuesday, the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction and the GFOA’s (Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award were presented to Finance Officer Ginger Adams.
When presenting the auditor’s award, Joe Braden, western regional liaison with the Ohio Auditor of State’s office noted “it takes a lot to receive this award.” Of the approximate 6,000 entities audited, he said less than 300 are eligible for it.
He congratulated Adams and Assistant Finance Officer Renee Dulaney for a “job well done” for “their outstanding leadership, professionalism and their commitment to fiscal integrity.”
The city’s excellent record keeping qualified it for the Auditor of State Award with Distinction. It is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit. Entities that receive the award meet the following criteria of a “clean” audit report:
• The entity must file timely financial reports with the Auditor of State’s office in the form of a CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report)
• The audit report does not contain any findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, Single Audit findings or questioned costs
• The entity’s management letter contains no comments related to:
• Ethics referrals
• Questioned costs less than $10,000
• Lack of timely report submission
• Reconciliation
• Failure to obtain a timely Single Audit
• Findings for recovery less than $100
• Public meetings or public records
• No other financial or other concerns exist that involve eligible entity.
“This (award) not only represents the hard work of all the city employees you have that strive each day to achieve accounting excellence, but I also want to recognize all the council members and the mayor. They have done an excellent job in the county with all the dollars in the city of Sidney” Braden said.
Sidney City Manager Mark Cundiff next presented the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. He said this is the 19th consecutive year the city has received the award.
It is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. Guidelines for receiving the award assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
Sidney is one of 18 cities and one of 28 government entities in Ohio to receive it. Cundiff said the only other Miami Valley cities to receive the award are Kettering and Middletown.
“Thanks a lot to the financial office. I feel blessed to have these folks, Ginger and Renee the rest of the department, on staff. Makes my job a lot easier,” Cundiff said.
The mayor and several council members joined Cundiff’s praise for their good work.
Cundiff shared that the city’s aggregation consultant, AGE, provided him with new, lower rates. The rates will go into effect for the city’s 89 small accounts after the December meter reading. The six larger accounts’ rates will go into effect when the current contract expires in December 2020.
In addition there was a review of the upcoming Zoning Board/Planning Commission Agenda for Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, and prospective City Council Agenda items for the next 30 days.
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