For the 21st year in a row, Missouri City has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for fiscal responsibility and sound financial management practices.
BUDGET AWARD – Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen presents the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Budget/Financial Reporting Manager Cynthia Conley. Missouri City received the award for the 21st consecutive year, becoming one of only two cities in the Gulf Coast region to receive the award for more than 20 years in a row.
The award was presented by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.
In receiving the award, Missouri City became one of only two municipalities to receive the finance award for more than 20 years in a row.
Of the approximately 36,000 cities in the United States, only two percent received GFOA budget awards. There are only 27 cities in Texas that have been given the award 20 or more times.
The award recognizes the finance department’s efforts to save taxpayer dollars by using the latest technology to reduce operating expenses.
“It takes a great deal of work to win this award, and it means that when citizens of Missouri City see the budget for the city, they know it was prepared correctly,” Mayor Allen Owen said. “It also means that other people recognize that fact.”
Using conservative budgeting principles, Missouri City maintains total fiscal transparency with residents, and is a responsible steward of the taxpayers’ dollars, according to City Finance Director Wes Vela.
For example, in 2008, the city saved taxpayers an estimated $60,000 by having Fort Bend County bill taxes for Missouri City residents. To date, more than $230,000 has been saved through this partnership with the county.
The Distinguished Budget Awards program is designed to encourage state and local governments to prepare and issue budget documents of the highest quality. Those documents, in turn, inform residents of the budget process and enhance accountability.
The award recognizes governments that have prepared a high-quality budget document for the 2008 fiscal year.
