VANCOUVER — The City of Vancouver says it has been recognized for publishing budget documents that are "clear and engaging."
The city says in a news release that its 2018 Budget Book has received an award from the Government Finance Officers Association, a group of public sector finance professionals.
The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award recognizes organizations whose budget documents explain complex information in an easy-to-understand format.
Patrice Impey, Vancouver's general manager of finance, risk, and supply chain management, says the recognition is gratifying.
She says staff worked hard to explain the rationale behind budgetary decisions, create infographics that summarized data and use language that is better understood by the general public.
The award-winning budget book also includes a separate highlights document that Impey says is intended to give readers a short and digestible summary of Vancouver's priorities for spending over the coming year.
"We have worked hard over the past few years to improve our financial planning, budgeting and reporting processes, and to enhance the presentation of our budget documents to make them more accessible for citizens," Impey says in the news release.
Vancouver's financial management practices have also been acknowledged by credit rating agencies, including Moody's and Standard and Poor's, with the highest rating of AAA and Aaa.
Vancouver also received one of the top rankings among Canadian municipalities in the CD Howe Institute's 2017 municipal fiscal accountability report card, the release says.
