SIDNEY— Sidney’s Finance Department recently was honored with a national award recognizing its excellency in keeping the city’s budget.

“This is the 18th consecutive year the City of Sidney has received the GFOA’s (Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award,” City Manager Mark Cundiff said in a statement. “And Sidney is only one of 17 municipalities in Ohio to receive this award.”

The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. The award “reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.” Approximately 1,550 participants received the award for budgets beginning in 2015.

Guidelines for receiving the award assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. To receive the award, “budget documents must be rated ‘proficient’ in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories.”

“The entire Finance Department, particularly Assistant Finance Officer Renee Dulaney, assisted greatly with the participation of the budget and deserve to share receiving this award,” said Finance Officer Ginger Adams in a statement after she was presented with the Distinguished Budget Presentation’s Certificate of Recognition.