The City of Goleta is pleased to announce that it has received its second Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s two-year budget plan, fiscal years 2019/20 and 2020/21. The City previously received this award in 2018 for fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Finance Director Luke Rioux and a support team of dedicated staff members continue to put together a comprehensive budget plan to increase transparency and make it easy to see how money comes into the City and how it is spent.
Mayor Paula Perotte said, “On behalf of myself and the entire City Council, we offer our congratulations to the Finance Department on this prestigious award. We know how important it is to show the community how every dollar is spent, and I commend the City for its efforts. This award shows the City’s commitment to a transparent budget.”
City Manager Michelle Greene said, “We also want to take this opportunity to applaud our Finance Department Staff for their ability to transition to doing business virtually and electronically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a monumental shift, but they worked hard behind the scenes and made it all happen. We are so lucky to have such a talented team of professionals serving our City.”
The Distinguished Budget Award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Award recipients must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, and the budget must serve as a: policy document; financial plan; operations guide; and communications device. View the City’s Two-Year Budget Plan for FY 2019/20 & 2020/21 here and recently adopted FY 2020/21 Mid-Cycle Budget which revises the original budget estimates. Learn more about the award at www.gfoa.org.
The City’s budget is one of many responsibilities for the Finance Department. Their primary function is to ensure the financial integrity of the City of Goleta by providing superior financial services, maintaining the public trust, and promoting governmental efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. The department is responsible for the maintenance of an effective financial accounting system, which accurately reflects the financial operations of the City and offers a framework for financial planning and analysis. The Finance Department also oversees and handles the investment program for the City and is now functioning as the City’s purchasing department. The primary goal is providing accurate, reliable, and timely financial information for City Council, City Manager, City staff, and outside requests using professional standards.
More information on the City’s Finance Department is available at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/finance.