New Canaan Wins 2 Financial Reporting Awards

Information via town of New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, CT — The town of New Canaan has won two financial reporting awards from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

New Canaan Chief Financial Officer Anne Kelly-Lenz and Comptroller Diane Wilson earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award for their leadership in producing the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report, according to GFOA.

The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Additionally, GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award was designated to New Canaan Budget Manager Joshua Kaufman for his leadership producing the Fiscal Year 2025 budget book. The award represents a significant achievement and commitment by the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.

In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines that are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as:

• A policy document
• A financial plan
• An operations guide
• A communications device

Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to impove the quality of budgeting and provide an exellent example for other governments throughout North America, according to GFOA.