OC San Honored with Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Fountain Valley, Calif. – The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), with special recognition for OC San’s Capital Program. OC San has received this prestigious award annually since fiscal year 1996-97. The award represents the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and reflects a significant achievement by OC San.

“As a public agency, we endeavor to be completely forthright, transparent, and comprehensive in our financial planning. This award further reaffirms our efforts to maintain these high standards”, stated Wally Ritchie, OC San Director of Finance.

To receive the award, OC San met nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation for the biennium beginning July 2024. These guidelines assess how well budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications tool. Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories. To attain special recognition, OC San’s Capital Program received the highest possible score in its categories.

“One of the most important responsibilities we have is to provide effective and appropriate management of public funds. OC San’s Board of Directors has made it a top priority to maintain the highest standards and best practices in budgeting,” said Ryan Gallagher, OC San Board Chairman.

About the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program

The GFOA established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program (Budget Awards Program) in 1984 to encourage and assist state and local governments to prepare budget documents of the very highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA's best practices on budgeting and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal. Approximately 1,800 governments, including states, cities, counties, special districts, school districts, and more have been recognized for transparency in budgeting. To earn recognition, budget documents must meet program criteria and excel as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communication tool.