“Our budget, our annual reports, our audits are something we can be very proud of as a county. Our finances are more transparent than they have ever been,” said Navajo County Assistant Manager Bryan Layton at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 14, as he recognized the Navajo County Finance Department for being awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States of Canada for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for Fiscal Year 2018.
Finance Director Paige Peterson along with members of her team that include Finance Operations Supervisor Rebecca Robertson, account specialists Sonya Martin and Ryan Larson, and accountant Jackie Walker, received the award.
The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial report. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement is given to the individuals or department designated by the government as the one primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.
Judged by an impartial panel to see if it meets the high standards of the program, the CAFR must also show a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” communicating its financial story and motivating potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
In a letter sent to Chairman Steve Williams from Michele Mark Levine, Director of Technical Services Center from the GFOA, it was stated, “We hope that your example will encourage other government officials in their efforts to achieve and maintain an appropriate standard of excellence in financial reporting.”
“Paige has accomplished what needed to be done and achieve all the standards with a much smaller staff. It is a testament to her work ethic and dedication,” concluded Layton.
