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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 105%;">CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI<br />P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<h2 style="font-size: 200%;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h2>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">April 7, 2017</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 75px; font-size: 120%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Laura Peveler
<br />Budget Officer
<br />573-874-7541</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:200%;"><h3 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 170%;">Columbia receives budget award for 21st consecutive year</h3>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <span style="font-weight: 400;">For the 21st consecutive year, the City of Columbia has received an award for the budget that represents significant achievement.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City was presented with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This award is a big deal. Our budget is peer reviewed by experts in the field and they decide if we've earned it. I couldn't be more proud of the work of our Budget Officer Laura Peveler, her team in the Budget Office, and, our Finance Director Michele Nix," City Manager Mike Matthes said.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><b
r /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to GFOA, the award "reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This award represents all the hard work that Budget Officer Laura Peveler and the budget staff have done to ensure that the City's budget document is a comprehensive, transparent tool that confirms to the highest industry standards," Finance Director Michele Nix said.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are four guidelines that are used to assess an entity's budget: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device. Budget documents are evaluated separately by three reviewers who are GF
OA professional staff or have experience in public sector budgeting. To receive the award, the budget documents must be collectively rated by the reviewers as "proficient" in all categories as well as the 14 mandatory criteria within the four categories.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award was first given out in 1984. To be considered for the award, budget documents are accepted from any state and local government entity. 1,565 entities were given the award for budgets with fiscal years that began in 2015.</span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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