WilCo Garners Prestigious Budgeting Award

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County is the recipient of the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, officials announced on Tuesday.

The honor marks the ninth consecutive year Williamson County has garnered the award reflecting the commitment of the county and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.

“We are truly grateful to receive such a distinguished award," Budget Officer Ashlie Koenig said in a prepared statement. "Without the hard work, dedication and tenacity of our Williamson County peers, this award would not have been possible. We are thankful for the support of our Commissioners Court and our county leaders."

Koenig said the award embodies the mission of the budget office: "Our goal each year is to deliver a fiscally sound budget and do this in the most transparent way possible, to involve our stakeholders and to weigh each fiscal decision carefully. All budget information is available on the www.wilco.org site to include overviews, timelines, as well as a Citizens’ Corner designed to deliver accountability and confidence at every level.”

In order to receive the budget award, Williamson County had to satisfy rigorous, nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines 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 the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

Budget documents can be found at www.wilco.org under Departments and Budget Office.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving more than 17,600 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

Top photo (left to right) shows members of the Budget Office Jennifer Templeton, budget analyst; Ashlie Koenig, budget officer; and Sarah Crain, assistant budget officer.