Union County's financial wizards are basking in the glow of national praise, as their Finance department received kudos for exemplary communication of fiscal matters in the form of the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR Award), given by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). According to the announcement published on the county's website, this acknowledgment lauds their efforts in making finance comprehensible to the residents they serve, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
Independently reviewed by a panel the County's financial report not only hit the mark but did so with style earning high scores across the board for reader appeal understandability and distribution, and let's not forget the creative presentation which tailored to Union County's specific context. The GFOA cites the County's efforts as providing constituents with the "clarity and insight needed to support informed decision-making," praise the engaging structure and the use of visual elements to complement the financial narratives woven throughout the document.
Amidst the rustle of papers and the soft hum of calculators at the Oct. 6 Board of County Commissioners meeting, accolades were in the air as Beverly Liles, Union County's Finance Director, took a well-deserved bow. "This award truly shows the County’s ongoing commitment to transparency and effectively sharing our financial impact with our residents," Liles said, as per the official County news post. She reinforced her department's dedication to maintaining the community's trust through these annual report cards on its monetary health.
The accolade is more than just a pat on the back, it's an indicator of Union County's pledge to stay open-book with its inhabitants, those who rightly demand transparency and clarity in the handling of their collective purse strings the award speaks not only to the technical proficiency but also to the department's alignment with the citizens it serves. The GFOA, representing over 25,000 government finance professionals, champions the sharing of best practices and developmental resources, ensuring that this sort of excellence isn't an anomaly but a replicable standard. It remains to be seen how other counties will step up their game in the wake of Union County’s noteworthy performance.
