Highest Form of Recognition in Government Budgeting Awarded to City

City also receives its first Special Capital Recognition

The City of Goleta is proud to announce that it has received its third Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s two-year budget plan, fiscal years 2021/22 and 2022/23. The City first received this award in 2018 for fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19, and again in 2020 for fiscal years 2019/20 and 2020/21. Alongside this prestigious award, the City of Goleta also received its first Special Capital Recognition which requires three outstanding ratings on the capital program from the reviewers.

The award is now the third consecutive award since the City of Goleta has prepared and submitted their entry in accordance with GFOA standards. Finance Director Luke Rioux and a support team of dedicated staff members continue to put together a comprehensive budget plan that increases transparency and allows community members to easily see how money comes into our City and how it is spent.

Luke said, “This is a great accomplishment for our team, and especially the special recognition for capital budgeting. It reflects the many hours of effort and hard work that goes into budget development and producing a well-organized budget document our City can take pride in. This award is a tribute to all of staff’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to improve Goleta’s budget document. We appreciate City Council’s support and expectation of only the highest standards in budget preparation. It is an honor to share this award with Council and City staff.”

The Distinguished Budget Award and the first Special Capital Recognition represents a summation of the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the Award, recipients must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, and the budget must serve as a: policy document; financial plan; operations guide; and communications device. View the City’s Two-Year Budget Plan for FY 2021/22 & 2022/23 here. To learn more about the award, please visit www.gfoa.org.

The primary function of the City’s Finance Department is to ensure the financial integrity of the City by providing superior financial services, maintaining public trust, and promoting governmental efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in a transparent and easy to understand manner. Finance maintains an effective financial accounting system that accurately reflects the financial operations of the City and offers a framework for both financial planning and analysis. The department provides accurate, reliable, and timely financial information for City Council, City Manager, City staff, and outside requests using the highest-level of professional standards.

More information on the City’s Finance Department, including objectives and accomplishments, is available at https://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/finance.