Chicago--The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) is pleased to announce that Collier County Clerk of the Courts, Florida has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. The award represents a significant achievement by the Clerk’s Office. It reflects the commitment of the Clerk and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the Clerk’s Office had to satisfy 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 • a communications device Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. Along with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award presented to Collier County Clerk of the Courts, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation has also been presented to the Collier County Clerk of Courts Accounting Department. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America. The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of 19,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. For more information, please contact: Marni Scuderi, Public Records Coordinator Clerk of the Circuit Court, Collier County, Florida or call (239)252-2725 email Marni.Scuderi@collierclerk.com.