HomeMy WebLinkAbout052726 City Wins Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jodi Adams,Finance Director
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 360-385-2700 jadams@cityofpt.us
CITY WINS DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD
Awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association
PORT TOWNSEND – The City of Port Townsend is the recipient of theGovernmentFinance
Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the City’s 2026
budget document. GFOA is a national organization founded in 1906 that is dedicated to
advancing excellence in public finance.
The award represents a significant achievement by reflecting the commitment of City Council
and staff to meeting the highest standards of governmental budgeting.Inorder to receive the
budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget
presentation and was scored on a set of criteria by peer reviewers in government finance. The
criteria 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.
Over 1,900 local and state agencies from across North America are participating in the Budget
Awards Program, with many submitting budget documents annually. The most recent Budget
Awardrecipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on
GFOA's website. This is Port Townsend’s first award.
Theredesigned budget book for 2026 builds on the City’s ongoing commitment to
transparency, accountability, andfinancial stewardship, shown throughnational recognition
from International City Managers Association (ICMA)for theCity’s Financial Sustainability
Initiative and a longstanding history of clean State audits.
“We are honored to be the recipients of the 2026 GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation
Award,” Finance Director Jodi Adams said. “The 2026 budget book is the result of a dedicated
team effort to make the City’s financial information more transparent and accessible to the
public. Our goal was to create a document that provided residents and councilmembers a
clearer understanding of how resources are allocated and how those decisions support City
services and priorities. Special recognition goes to Isaac Johnson and Katie Kowalski for their
exceptional work, creativity, and commitment. Theywere instrumental in creating a budget
document that better communicates the City’s priorities and financial stewardship which
helped us win this award.”
Adams has served the City of Port Townsend as Finance Director for two years.In that time,
Adams has championedprocess improvements, staff training, and a culture of excellence on
her team, while also supporting new careers in local government. This award is a testament to
her leadership and vision for the City’s Finance Department and annual budget process.
Chair of the Council Finance and Budget Committee, Monica MickHager, said “Fiscal
responsibility is important to me and was one of the main reasons I decided to run for City
Council. We’ve been on quite a journey these last few years with a smart, consistent,
disciplined approach that has grounded our organization – and therefore our community –in
stability and strength. With another national award for our work, I’m grateful that we’re being
recognized. And I’m so proud of our staff team and our Council team for this accomplishment.”
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Access the City’s 2026 Annual Budget: cityofpt.us/finance/page/city-budget
About GFOA: Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellencein
governmentfinancebyprovidingbest practices, professional development, resources, and
practical research for more than 30,000 members and the communities they serve.
For more information about GFOA, visit www.gfoa.org.