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Description
On December 2, 2016, the City of Aiken was presented the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association following the Chamber of Commerce's First Friday breakfast at Newberry Hall.
A
Good
morning,
everyone
I
want
to
thank
our
news
media
for
joining
us
this
morning.
Obviously
our
Chamber
members,
who
have
remained
here
to
hear
this
exciting
news
in
newberry
hall,
who
has
generously
let
us
use
their
facility
for
this
press
conference.
This
is
the
first
press
conference
we've
called
in
this
in
the
year
that
I've
been
mayor,
but
in
effort
for
even
further
transparency
in
your
city
government
is
our
hope
that
we'll
have
these
on
a
regular
basis,
as
there
is
news
that
we
feel
citizens
deserve
to
know.
A
Let
me
begin
by
stating
that
I'm
proud
to
stand
with
these
council
members
who
are
with
me
today.
There
are
public
servants
that
set
the
policy
and
direction
of
our
city.
One
of
the
main
tools
that
council
has
are
setting
priorities
for
the
upcoming
years
through
the
budget
process
this
year.
As
many
of
you
know,
this
council
worked
tirelessly
with
our
staff
working
through
our
annual
budget
vacant
city
council
made
a
priority
of
a
priority
of
fiscal
accountability
and
transparency.
A
Today
we
are
pleased
to
report
that
the
government
finance
Officers
Association,
the
premier
national
organization,
supporting
and
regulating
government
finance
professionals
and
departments
in
the
United
States
has
awarded
the
city
of
Aiken
with
a
distinguished
budget
presentation
award
for
its
budget
of
the
year
beginning
july.
First
2016.
A
Now
I
do
not
want
to
stand
here
taking
credit
for
this
prestigious
award.
City
Council
may
have
issued
the
challenge,
but
it
was
city
manager,
John,
Clem
and
director
of
finance.
Kim,
add
me
and
her
finance
department
team
that
not
only
accepted
the
challenge
of
examining
and
changing
the
budget
budgeting
system
that
has
been
used
in
the
Aiken
city
government,
since
nineteen
fifty-five,
but
if
I
might
say
they
hid
the
challenge
out
of
the
park
at
John's
direction.
A
John
kim
and
her
team
worked
diligently
to
achieve
this
level
of
professionalism
in
their
first
effort,
and
I
know
they're
there
already
at
work
improving
on
those
results.
Congratulations
John
from
all
of
council.
We
recognize
the
working
commitment
that
went
into
this
budget
from
you,
your
staff,
and
we
are
grateful.
A
We
will
hear
from
John
and
Kim
later,
but
this
time
I
would
like
to
ask
Miss
Angela
Gunther
and
she
would
come
forward.
She
is
a
representative
of
the
government,
finance
Officers
Association
and
she
would
I'd
like
for
her
to
say
a
few
words
miss
Gunther.
We
were
pleased
to
have
you
with
us
today.
Thank
you
for
being
here.
B
He
said:
I'm
Angelo,
gunner
and
I'm,
a
former
board
member
with
the
government
finance
officers,
association
of
South
Carolina
I'm
here
on
the
back
behalf
of
the
government,
finance
officers,
association
in
the
United
States
and
Canada.
To
present
this
distinguished
budget
presentation
award
to
the
city
of
aiken
fourth
budget
for
the
year
beginning
july,
first
2016,
the
city's
budget,
has
been
judged
by
an
impartial
panel
to
meet
the
high
standards
of
the
g
fo,
a
program
including
14,
mandatory
criteria
within
four
broad
categories.
B
The
guidelines
are
designed
to
assess
how
well
an
entity's
budget
serves,
has
a
policy
document,
a
financial
plan,
an
operations
guide
and
a
communications
device
g
fo
a
established
this
award
in
1984
to
encourage
and
assist
state
and
local
governments
to
prepare
budget
documents
of
the
very
highest
quality.
The
reflect
both
the
guidelines
established
by
the
National
Advisory
Council
on
state
and
local
budgeting
and
the
GMOs
CFOs
best
practices
on
budgeting
and
then
to
recognize
individual
governments
that
succeed
in
achieving
that
goal.
B
Documents
submitted
to
the
budget
awards
program
are
reviewed
by
selected
members
of
g
fo,
a
professional
staff
and
by
outside
reviewers,
with
experience
in
public
sector
budgeting
in
South
Carolina
Aiken
is
the
10th
municipality
out
of
269
to
be
awarded
this
distinction.
Less
than
four
percent
of
South
Carolina
municipalities
and
less
than
two
percent
of
all
local
in
the
United
States
earned
this
distinguished
budget
award.
B
The
completely
redesigned
budget
replaces
the
model
that
the
city
has
used
since
nineteen
fifty-five
collaboration
across
all
the
departments
made
this
feat
possible,
led
by
the
city
manager's
office.
The
finance
department
worked
with
each
city
department
to
combine
the
information
into
a
usable
communication
tool
for
City
Council
citizens
and
staff
I'm
honored
to
present
the
city
of
Aiken,
this
prestigious
award
for
their
hard
work
and
diligence
and
again
on
to
add
this
is
the
first
time
they
put
in
for
this
award
and
got
it
on
the
first.
Try.
A
Angela,
thank
you
for
it's
an
honor
to
accept
this
on
behalf
of
the
city
of
Aiken,
our
counseling
staff,
and
we're
going
to
be
coming
for
more
of
them
at
this
time,
I'd
like
to
ask
our
Director
of
Finance
Kim
abney
as
she
like
to
say
a
few
words
about
this
award
and
what
it
means
to
her
in
our
city
and
she
will
be
followed
by
our
city
manager.
Mr.
John
Clem.
This
ad
me.
C
This
was
a
tremendous
undertaking,
but
it
could
not
have
been
done
without
the
leadership
of
our
city
manager,
John
Clem,
our
assistant
city
manager,
Stuart,
vivo,
teamwork
from
all
the
department
directors
and
support
from
City
Council.
Of
course,
I
would
like
to
recognize
my
staff.
It
was
instrumental
in
the
preparation
of
this
document.
C
I
have
summer
Gagnon,
who
is
recently
a
certified
government,
finance
officer,
Annette
Rocco,
our
special
projects,
accountant
and
Kimberly
week,
also
a
certified
government,
finance
officer,
Lex
Kirkland
of
our
own
city,
manager's
office,
Sara,
Rydell,
missing
manager's
office
and
West
funderburke
from
our
IT
department.
We
couldn't
be
here
this
morning
also
provided
valuable
assistance
and
pulling
together
all
the
pictures
and
information
that
we
used
in
the
document.
C
The
standards
of
the
government
finance
officers,
association
are
rigorous
and
we
strive
to
meet
the
mandatory
requirements
in
the
first
year,
but
we
will
continue
to
enhance
the
document
and
build
upon
this
initial
success.
This
budget
will
not
look
like
in
55
years.
Same
as
it
does
today,
we
will
continue
to
improve
and
evolve
as
a
communication
tool
for
our
council,
our
citizens
and
the
staff.
Thank
you.
D
Thank
You,
mayor
and
good
morning
to
all
of
you,
I
would
like
to
conclude
this
conference
by
first
saying
how
honored
I
am
to
work
with
and
for
a
City
Council
who
has
made
reforming
the
financial
structure
of
the
city
the
highest
priority.
They
knew
that
our
1950s
incremental
style
operational
budget
was
confusing
lacking
transparency
and
accountability,
and
they
directed
us
immediately
to
change.
We
held
numerous
workshops
where
council
members
rolled
up
their
sleeves
to
work
with
us
to
redesign
our
budget
package.
D
It
was
a
monumental
undertaking
in
the
short
period
of
time
we
had
to
get
the
job
done,
an
operational
budget
format
that
can
be
traced
back
for
decades
and
the
lack
of
a
real
long
range
financial
plan
and
a
real
capital
plan
to
take
care
of
our
infrastructure,
which
we
are
now
working
on.
I
also
must
say
how
proud
I
am
of
our
interdisciplinary
staff
team
that
was
assembled
to
work
for
months
on
this
project.
D
Finance,
director,
abney
assistant
city
manager,
beiden
bow,
and
the
entire
team
did
an
extraordinary
job
and
it
is
an
honor
working
with
these
true
professionals.
I
am
proud
that
the
city
of
aiken
is
one
of
only
ten
communities
in
our
state
to
receive
this
honor.
Our
commitment
to
you,
the
citizens
and
taxpayers
of
our
city
and
our
two,
our
city
council,
is
that
we
will
continue
over
the
next
few
years
to
continue
to
improve
our
budgetary
and
financial
process.
Thank
you.
A
E
A
Can
quote
me
on
that?
Monitor
yeah?
No,
absolutely
this!
This
is
a
step
not
only
towards
transparency,
but
just
good
sound
government.
The
budget
process
really
is
a
tool
that
we
use
to
give
direction
and
priorities
through
the
year
and
this
budget
process.
I
can
tell
you,
council,
work
diligently
through
this
process
and
and
made
some
tough
decisions,
but
it
really
said
what
I,
what
I
think
it's
a
positive
and
right
direction
for
our
city.
A
Mean
I
think
Aiken
Aiken
is
at
a
crossroads.
We've
all
said
that
in
the
last
last
year
year
and
a
half
two
years
and
moving
forward
as
we
as
we
looked
at
an
antiquated
budget
process,
this
this
really
gives
us
an
opportunity
to
move
forward,
and
there
were
a
lot
of
things
that
not
only
just
a
lack
of
transparency.
It
wasn't
an
intentional
thing,
but
we
knew
we
could
do
better
and
I
think
I
think
staff
really
wanted
this
council
had
directed
it.
A
I
know
I
know
the
council
members
have
been
talking
this,
but
before
I
was
before
I
was
up
there,
this
this
was
already
in
place,
and
certainly
I
encourage
it
as
well,
but
I
think
it's
just
a
time
for
a
can.
A
cannon
taken,
everyone
say
is
a
place
where
we're
moving
forward-
and
this
is
this-
is
a
part
of
that
process
and
an
important
but.
F
A
G
Was
time
for
a
change,
it
was
very
critical
when
we
interviewed
for
the
new
city
manager,
we
wanted
to
make
sure
that
he
understood
our
commitment
for
a
new
budget
and,
most
importantly,
is
it's
our
communication
with
the
citizens
it's
their
money.
They
need
to
know
how
it's
spent
and
what
is
spent
on,
but
it
was.
It
was
a
commitment
on
the
part
of
the
entire
council
when
we
hired
John
Clem
to
come
in
a
city
manager.
This
was
a
change
that
needed
to
be
made.