The Town of Garner is proud to announce that it has won the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fourth consecutive year. This most recent award is for the Town’s FY26 Adopted Budget book.
The award "reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting," the GFOA said.
To receive this prestigious award, the Town had to meet nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:
- a policy document
- a financial plan
- an operations guide and
- a communications device
Budget documents must be rated proficient in all four of these categories, and in 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
There are over 1,900 participants in the GFOA Budget Awards Program. The most recent award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on the GFOA's website.
The Town’s Adopted Budget book and online Budget Portal have seen significant upgrades in recent years under the leadership of Budget Director Sara Warren and her team.
“The Town is committed to continual improvement and transparency in its budget development and implementation,” Town Manager Jodi Miller said. “Staff efforts to modernize the budget process for fiscal year 2026 have provided greater transparency, allow for better multiple-year planning and communicate how tax dollars are being thoughtfully used.”
In addition to Ms. Warren, the Town’s budget team includes Town Manager Miller, Assistant Town Managers John Hodges and Matt Poole, Finance Director David Beck and Senior Budget Analyst Celeste Gore-Purcell.
To review the Adopted Budget book and learn more about the FY26 adopted budget, please visit the FY26 Budget Portal.
