HomeMy WebLinkAboutDec. 20 Finance Award
City of Edina 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Debbie Townsend, Communications Assistant
Phone 952-826-0396 dtownsend@EdinaMN.gov EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Finance Department Wins Reporting Award
Edina, Minn., December 20, 2016 – The City of Edina’s Finance Department was honored with the
2016 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting for the second consecutive
year.
The award, from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFAO), is for the City’s effort to turn a
highly detailed government accounting report into a readable, understandable document for the average
resident. In the government accounting industry, the award is one of three big honors, Assistant Finance
Director Kyle Sawyer said. The City also has been awarded the other two: Certificate of Achievement for
Excellence in Financial Reporting for 10 consecutive years and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
for two consecutive biennial budgets.
In this case, the effort was summarizing the City’s 140-page Comprehensive Annual Financial Report into four
pages of Edition: Edina, an insert in the Sun-Current newspaper. The June 2016 issue of Edition: Edina included a
comparison of municipal property taxes from area cities, an explanation of tax-increment financing and an
article on Edina Liquor’s revenue and how profits are returned to the community, among other things.
The GFAO officials praised a section called “Edina Fast Facts,” which highlighted statistics including the local
unemployment rate and per-capita personal income, and a “By the Numbers” feature that used photos and
blurbs to spotlight City revenue sources.
“We’re trying to get a document out there that people find meaningful,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer said credit for the award goes to the entire Finance Department staff and also the City’s
Communications & Technology Services Department, which writes the articles and produces Edition: Edina.
Edition: Edina is online at EdinaMN.gov/edition-edina. The City’s CAFR is online at EdinaMN.gov/finance.
For more information, contact Kyle Sawyer at 952-826-0420 or KSawyer@EdinaMN.gov.
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