Stockton, CA, - San Joaquin County is pleased to announce receipt of the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for their 2024-2025 Adopted Budget.

“This award is a testament to County fiscal staff, particularly the team in the County Administrator’s Office, who worked so hard on this year’s budget,” said Assistant County Administrator Brenda Kiely. “We not only implemented two new budget systems but added new content to our budget book to achieve this distinguished award. It is a great example of the meticulous steps we take to serve the residents of San Joaquin County through responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

According to the GFOA, “the award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. Its attainment represents a significant achievement by San Joaquin County. It reflects the commitment of the County and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”

To receive the award, San Joaquin County must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. 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

There were 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.

“Each fiscal year presents unique budget challenges and opportunities,” said San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair, Miguel Villapudua. “Achieving this award takes tremendous effort from County leadership and staff across all Departments as well as vision and direction from our Board who help develop and implement our spending plan. We are very proud.”

The Government Finance Officers Association established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program in 1984 to inspire state and local governments to prepare high-quality budget documents that reflect the guidelines of the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA's best practices on budgeting. The Association designates individuals who have experience in public-sector budgeting to review each document that is submitted to the Budget Awards Program. 

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