CHICAGO — The City of Greenville has received a pair of prestigious financial reporting awards from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The GFOA recently announced that the City earned the GFOA Certificate of Achievement of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Consolidated Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR).

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management, according to the GFOA. The City of Greenville CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

The GFOA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting represents a significant achievement by the entity. In order to be eligible for the award, a government must also submit its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program and receive the CAFR award for the current fiscal year. Each eligible report is reviewed by judges who evaluate the report based on the following categories: reader appeal, understandability, distribution methods, creativity, and other elements.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of more than 20,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. For more information about the GFOA, visit GFOA.org.