St. Cloud's Finance Department honored

The City of St. Cloud has received a pair of finance awards in April from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

First, it was announced this week it's the recipient of the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The announcement comes just weeks after GFOA announced St. Cloud had received its Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting.

“Taken individually, either of these awards is a testament to the professionalism of the City’s Finance department,” City Manager Bill Sturgeon said. “Taken together, it speaks volumes to the caliber of people we have here helping to oversee and manage the City’s budget. I’m very proud of this team and the hard work they put in to ensure transparency, accuracy and accountability.”

To attain GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the City had to be rated “proficient” in four categories: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. GFOA says the award “represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”

St. Cloud’s Finance Department is headed by Director Wendy Collazo and Deputy Director Jeff Cooper, who lead a team of 13 staff members.