HomeMy WebLinkAbout20232724.tiffMay 06, 2022
Jennifer Oftelie
Budget Manager
Weld County
1150 O Street
Greeley, CO 80631
Dear Ms. Oftelie:
We are pleased to inform you, based on the examination of your budget by a panel of independent reviewers,
that your budget document has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the current fiscal period. This award is the highest
form of recognition in governmental budgeting. Its attainment represents a significant achievement by your
organization.
The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is valid for one year. To continue your participation in the
program, it will be necessary to submit your next annual budget document to GFOA within 90 days of the
proposed budget's submission to the legislature or within 90 days of the budget's final adoption.
Information about how to submit an application for the Distinguished Budget Program application is posted
on GFOA's website.
Each program participant is provided with confidential comments and suggestions for possible
improvements to the budget document. Your comments are enclosed. We urge you to carefully consider
the suggestions offered by our reviewers as you prepare your next budget.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for
Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily
responsible for its having achieved the award. Enclosed is a Certificate of Recognition for Budget
Preparation for:
Finance Department
Continuing participants will receive a brass medallion that will be mailed separately. First-time recipients
will receive an award plaque within eight to ten weeks. Enclosed is a camera-ready reproduction of the
award for inclusion in your next budget. If you reproduce the camera-ready image in your next budget, it
should be accompanied by a statement indicating continued compliance with program criteria. The
following standardized text should be used:
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) presented a
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Weld County, Colorado, for its Annual Budget for
the fiscal year beginning January 01, 2022. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit
must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as a financial
plan, as an operations guide, and as a communications device.
This award is valid for a period of one year only. We believe our current budget continues to
conform to program requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA to determine its eligibility for
another award.
A press release is enclosed.
Upon request, GFOA can provide a video from its Executive Director congratulating your specific entity
for winning the Budget Award.
We appreciate your participation in this program, and we sincerely hope that your example will encourage
others in their efforts to achieve and maintain excellence in governmental budgeting. The most current list
of award recipients can be found on GFOA's website at www.gfoa.org. If we can be of further assistance,
please contact the Technical Services Center at (312) 977-9700.
Sincerely,
ileaAL(4.-
Michele Mark Levine
Director, Technical Services Center
Enclosure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 06, 2022
For more information, contact:
Technical Services Center
Phone: (312) 977-9700
Fax: (312) 977-4806
E-mail: budgetawards(a,gfoa.org
(Chicago, Illinois) --Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to announce that Weld County,
Colorado, has received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of 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 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 in the fourteen mandatory criteria
within those categories, to receive the award.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for
Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily
responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to Finance Department.
There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients,
along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award
recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for
other governments throughout North America.
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by
providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000
members and the communities they serve.
0
GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
Distinguished
Budget Presentation
Award
PRESENTED TO
Weld County
Colorado
For the Fiscal Year Beginning
January 01, 2022
O4414,. P 2,4,
Executive Director
G�9
The Government Finance Officers Association
of the United States and Canada
presents this
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR BUDGET PREPARATION
to
Finance Department
Weld County, Colorado
The Certificate of Recognition for Budget Preparation is presented by the Government
Finance Officers Association to those individuals who have been instrumental in their
government unit achieving a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, which is the highest award In governmental
budgeting, is presented to those government units whose budgets are judged to adhere
to program standards
Executive Director
Date: May 06, 2022
Ci.r.p4.. P aY.�u
BUDGET REVIEW COMPOSITE RATING FORM
GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program
For budgets beginning January 1, 2021 or later
Agency: County of Weld CO
Fiscal Year beginning: 1/1/22
Document number: B9946173
At least 2 of the three reviewers must rate the document "proficient" or "outstanding on all four overall categories and all mandatory criteria in order for the
document to receive the award
Information Not Present
(1)
Does Not Satisfy
(2)
Proficient
(3)
Outstanding
(4)
R1 R2 R3
RI R2 R3
R1 I R2 R3
R1 R2 R3
Introduction and Overview
V
V
V
* Cl Table of contents (mandatory)
V
V
V
* P1 Strategic goals & strategies (mandatory)
V
V
V
* P2 Priorities and issues (mandatory)
V
V
V
* C2 Budget overview (mandatory)
Financial Structure, Policy, and Process
V
V
V
* 01 Organizational chart (mandatory)
V
V
V
F1 Fund descriptions and fund structure
V
V
V
02 Department/fund relationship
V
V
V
F2 Basis of budgeting
V
V
V
* P3 Financial policies (mandatory)
V
V
V
* P4 Budget process (mandatory)
Financial Summaries
V
V
V
* F3 Consolidated financial schedule (mandatory)
V
V
V
F4 Three (four) year consolidated & fund financial schedules
V
V
V
* F5 Fund balance (mandatory)
V
V
V
* F6 Revenues (mandatory)
V
V
V
F7 Long-range operating financial plans
Capital 8t Debt
V V V
F8 Capital program (mandatory)
V V V
* F9 Debt(mandatory)
Departmental Information
V
V
V
* 03 Position summary schedule (mandatory)
V
V
V*
04 Departmental/program descriptions (mandatory)
V
V
V
05 Departmental/program goals and objectives
V
V
V
* 06 Performance measures (mandatory)
Document -wide Criteria
V
V
V
C3 Statistical/supplemental section
V
V
V
C4 Glossary
V
V
V
C5 Charts and graphs
V
V
V
C6 Understandability and usability
Overall
V
V
V
Overall as a polity document
V
V
V
Overall as a financial plan
V
V
V
Overall as a operations guide
V
V
V
Overall as a communications device
N Special Capital recognition (three "outstanding ratings on F8)
N Special Performance Measure recognition (three
"outstanding" ratings on O6)
Government Finance Officers Association
Budget Presentation Awards Program
Weld County, CO (FY2022)
The Budget as a Policy Document:
The budget message includes a detailed discussion of the factors that are influencing the budget and
the County's actions in response. Goals are mentioned. Consider providing explicit examples of budget
decisions that directly relate to the goals so readers less familiar can better understand how the
budget is developed to support the organization and community goals. Thorough financial policies.
Great emphasis on strategic planning in the budget process.
The Budget as a Financial Plan:
Good revenue information and graphs. Include footnotes on fund summaries pages directing the
reader to the explanation of changes in fund balance. Detailed capital project descriptions including
operating impact analysis. Good forecast with revenues, expenditures, and fund balance graphed.
Assumptions are listed. Expand the discussion of how forecasts are affected by or affect the budget
and other plans and issues as well as the implications for current and future budgets and operations.
The Budget as an Operations Guide:
The grid on pages 93-95 illustrates the relationship between accounting and operating structures.
Specifically link some unit goals or key projects with organization -wide priorities. Great blend of
performance measures including efficiency, effectiveness, input, and output measures. The projected
results help indicate which direction the related performance measures should be going.
The Budget as Communications Device:
Extensive acronyms list; continue to integrate some more complex acronyms with brief definitions into
the glossary. Have someone outside the organization experience the budget with the intent to
summarize for someone else in order to evaluate focus, clarity, and flow and to identify additional
terms for the glossary and/or items that need further explanation.
R931 — 04/2022
Reviewer ID: S719
Name of entity: Weld County
Fiscal Year: 2022
Document number: B9946173
State/Province: CO
Record Number: 234325001
Introduction and Overview
Proficient. The strategic plan identifies the department responsible. It's a bit confusing to have multiple
"mission statements" plus one for the county as a whole, but that's a semantic issue.
Financial Structure, Policy, and Process
Proficient with a good chart on page 61 that shows the relationship between different processes and
systems.
Financial Summaries
Proficient. Some tables are formatted for a printed budget. If most people read the document online, it
would be helpful to repeat row labels on the second pages of tables.
Capital & Debt
Proficient with good descriptions of capital project financing options and of projects.
Departmental Information
Proficient position summary and department descriptions. Very good presentation of department goals
and objectives, with the goals/objectives introduced at the beginning of the budget repeated in the
department sections. Performance measures are shown for the department goals; it would be helpful to
label the "actual," "estimated" and "projected" columns with years. The department sections include work
output and efficiency measures as well as the performance measures associated with department goals.
Document -wide Criteria
Proficient with an outstanding statistical/supplemental section. I didn't see a budget in brief on the
County's website that would give highlights of this lengthy document. Major sections like the budget
overview and priorities/issues include paragraphs of dense text; bullet points would break this up and
summarize this information.
Name of Entity: COUNTY OF WELD
Reviewer ID T992
Fiscal Year: 2021-2022
Introduction and Overview
State/Province: CO
Document Number B9946173
Record Number 234325001
Cl. Mandatory.' The document shall include a table of contents that makes it easier to locate information in the
document. Proficient.
P1. Mandatory: The document should provide a coherent statement of organization -wide strategic goals and strategies that
address long-term concerns and issues. Excellent. I enjoyed the verbiage included within the budget and that
you included the strategic plan. And while I understand the comment a reviewer made in prior years regarding
the size of the budget, I like that you include it. And not only did you include it, both documents are easy to
understand and written in a manner that gives information with specific expectations. I applaud you for stating
clearly your situation, your challenges, and your plans, in specific language, to address it. Refreshing!
P2. Mandatory: The document should describe the entity's short-term factors that affect decisions made in the
development of the budget for the upcoming year. Proficient.
C2. Mandatory.' The document should provide an overview of significant budgetary items and trends. An overview should
be presented within the budget document either in a separate section (e.g., executive summary) or integrated within the
transmittal letter or as a separate budget -in -brief document. Proficient.
Financial Structure, Policy, and Process
01. Mandatory.• The document shall include an organization chart(s) for the entire entity. Proficient.
Fl. The document should include and describe all funds that are subject to appropriation. Proficient.
02. The document should include narrative, tables, schedules, or matrices to show the relationship between functional units,
major funds, and nonmajor funds in the aggregate. Proficient.
F2. The budget shall explain the basis of budgeting for all funds, whether cash, modified accrual, or some other statutory
basis. Proficient.
P3. Mandatory: The document should include a coherent statement of entity -wide long-term financial policies. Proficient.
P4. Mandatory,: The document shall describe the process for preparing, reviewing, and adopting the budget for the coming
fiscal year. It also should describe the procedures for amending the budget after adoption. Proficient.
Financial Summaries
F3. Mandatory: The document shall present a summary of major revenues and expenditures, as well as other financing
sources and uses, to provide an overview of the total resources budgeted by the organization. Proficient
F4. Mandatory,: The document must include summaries of revenues and other financing sources, and of expenditures and
other financing uses for the prior yen actual, the current year budget and/or estimated current year actual, and the
proposed budget year. Proficient.
F5. Mandatory: The document shall include projected changes in fund balances as defined by the entity in the document,
for appropriated governmental funds included in the budget presentation (fund equity if no governmental funds are
included in the document). Proficient.
F6. Mandatary,: The document shall describe major revenue sources, explain the underlying assumptions for the revenue
estimates, and discuss significant revenue trends. Proficient.
F7. The document should explain long-range financial plans and its effect upon the budget and the budget process.
Proficient.
Capital & Debt
F8. Mandatory: The budget should include budgeted capital expenditures, whether authorized in the operating budget or
in a separate capital budget. Proficient.
F9. Include financial data on current debt obligations, describe the relationship between current debt levels and legal debt
limits, and explain the effects of existing debt levels on current operations. Proficient.
Departmental/Program Information
03. Mandatory: A schedule or summary table of personnel or position counts for prior, current and budgeted years shall
be provided. Proficient.
04. Mandatary,: Include departmental/program descriptions. Proficient.
05. Include clearly stated goals and objectives of the department or program. Proficient.
06. Mandatory:: Provide objective measures of progress toward accomplishing the govemment's mission as well as goals
and objectives for specific departments and programs. Proficient.
Document -wide Criteria
C3. Include statistical and supplemental data that describe the organization, its community, and population. It should also
furnish other pertinent background information related to the services provided. Proficient.
C4. A glossary should be included for any terminology (including abbreviations and acronyms) that is not readily
understandable to a reasonably informed lay reader. Proficient.
C5. Charts and graphs should be used, where appropriate, to highlight financial and statistical information. Narrative
interpretation should be provided when the messages conveyed by the graphs are not self-evident. Proficient.
C6. The budget information should be produced and formatted in such a way as to enhance its understanding by the average
reader. It should be attractive, consistent, and oriented to the reader's needs. Proficient.
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GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
Certificate of Achievement
for Excellence
in Financial Reporting
County of Weld
Colorado
Executive Director / CEO
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2019
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GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/29/2023
For more information contact:
Michele Mark Levine, Director/TSC
Phone: (312) 977-9700
Fax: (312) 977-4806
Email: mlevine@gfoa.org
(Chicago, Illinois) -Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has
awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to County of Weld for its annual
comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. 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.
The Certificate of Achievement is'the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and
financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its
management.
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best
practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the
communities they serve.
203 NORTH LASALLE STREET, SUITE 2700, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601-1210
0
Government Finance Officers Association
Certificate of
Achievement
for Excellence
in Financial
Reporting
Presented to
County of Weld
Colorado
For its Annual Comprehensive
Financial Report
For the Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2021
a dra ia- - P 7'e
Executive Director/CEO
GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/1/2023
For more information contact:
Michele Mark Levine, Director/TSC
Phone: (312) 977-9700
Fax: (312) 977-4806
Email: mlevine@gfoa.org
(Chicago, Illinois) -Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to announce that County of Weld has
received GFOA's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR Award)
for its Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
The Award represents a significant achievement by the entity. In order to be eligible for the PAFR Award, a
government must also submit its annual comprehensive financial report to GFOA's Certificate of Achievement
for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program and receive the Certificate for the current fiscal year. Each
eligible report is reviewed by judges who evaluate the report based on the following categories: reader appeal,
understandability, distribution methods, creativity and other elements.
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best
practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the
communities they serve.
203 NORTH LASALLE STREET, SUITE 2700, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601-1210
Government Finance Officers Association
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700
Chicago, Illinois 60601-1210
312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806
3/29/2023
Ester Gesick
Board Clerk
County of Weld, Colorado
Dear Mrs. Gesick:
We are pleased to notify you that your annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021 qualifies for GFOA's Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial
Reporting. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting
and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and
its management.
When a Certificate of Achievement is awarded to a government, an Award of Financial Reporting
Achievement (AFRA) is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated by the government
as primarily responsible for its having earned the Certificate. This award has been sent to the submitter as
designated on the application.
We hope that you will arrange for a formal presentation of the Certificate and Award of Financial
Reporting Achievement, and give appropriate publicity to this notable achievement. A sample news
release is included to assist with this effort.
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.
Sincerely,
Michele Mark Levine
Director, Technical Services
G�9
Government Finance Officers Association
Award for
Outstanding
Achievement in
Popular Annual
Financial Reporting
Presented to
County of Weld
Colorado
For its Annual Financial Report
For the Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2021
C•44 -1"`"P- 7 0
Executive Director/CEO
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